Hong Kong

[Etino]

Couldn’t see a thread and just now watching Newsnight having listened to reports on the radio all day. 10% of Hong Kongers reported to have protested today.

[lastqueenofscotland]

I lived in Hong Kong at the time the umbrella protests were happening, 6 years ago (Christ that’s gone quick) the scale of this though is insane.
I’ve always wanted to move back but it looks increasingly like a bad idea

[Etino]

It’s worrying isn’t. I’ve visited many times over the years- first time over 30 years ago, and lived in China. The police are in an unenviable position.

[soulrunner]

I live in HK now. The protests yesterday were much smaller than the official demonstration/march on Sunday which was genuinely close to 1 million people. It was a march from Victoria Park to Legco. Passed off mostly peacefully. Few scuffles at the end.

Yesterday was quite different. It was a static protest and the protesters gathered at Legco and blocked/ occupied the roads to prevent legislators getting in to read the extradition bill. Numbers much lower (tens of thousands so not sure where the 10% number came from) but clear intention to escalate from the beginning by certain groups (there is no official leadership so there's no strategy but some loose coordination via social media). It started getting violent about mid-afternoon. Police used tear gas against protestors who stormed police barriers in front of Legco (basically the Houses of Parliament). When I left work at 6 a lot of people seemed to be leaving and going home. There was expectation that the "post work shift" would arrive but that didn't really materialise.

All quiet today (as in, zero protesters there). Bill wont be read today, the weather is terrible, and they have shut the surrounding malls which were being used for R&R yesterday and the MTR station closest to Legco.

I'd expect this to rumble on as long as the bill takes to pass (which it will IMO), but with protesters coming out for readings/debates rather than sitting there for weeks as with the Umbrella protests in October 2014. Weekend of National day (1 July) likely to be a flashpoint.

Local opinion very divided, and I think that's something that doesn't necessarily come across in the western press. While a lot of HK'ers don't want to tie up with China, a lot do (it's probably literally 50/50). Rule of thumb is that those with better prospects want HK to remain semi-autonomous, but those who feel they're the losers in the widening socio-economic inequality see their future as part of a full union.

[Etino]

Bill suspended! There’s so much going on at the moment I hope the world doesn’t stop watching.

[xsquared]

I haven't, Etino. It's frightening what's happening.