The
Guardian returns to its colonialist roots.
Just
so we understand the pro-government demonstrators are “thugs”
while nazis that shoot people in the neck and burn people in a trade
union building in Odessa are not.
What
are we to call that?
Hong Kong protesters beaten
and bloodied as thugs attack
sit-in
Thugs punched and kicked pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong on Friday night, shedding blood as they tore down demonstrators’ tents and attempted to forced them out.
3
October, 2014
Student
leaders called off talks with the government – offered
the previous night –
accusing officials of allowing violence to be used against them. It
dashed the hopes of a resolution to a mass movement that saw tens of
thousands take to the streets of the city at its height.
The
veteran democracy activist Martin Lee and Occupy Central leader
Benny Tai blamed triads for the violence in Mong Kok, a densely
populated area also popular with shoppers. The area is known for its
gang presence.
Lee told
the South China Morning Post:
“It was very ugly in Mong Kok, clearly the anti-Occupy people
deliberately caused a scene and created trouble, giving police an
excuse.”
He
alleged: “Because of the presence of the international press, the
police won’t use teargas again to throw the people away. So they
use these triad society members to create a scene and threaten the
people. We are peace-loving and we are getting injured.”
Tearful
and bleeding students were escorted from the junction of Argyle and
Nathan roads by police as a crowd of thousands jeered and a number
of men lashed out at them.
More
than a hundred protesters stood firm, linking arms to protect more
vulnerable members of the crowd sheltering beneath their remaining
tent, despite appeals from protest leaders to leave the scene for
their own safety.
Demonstrators
were already angry that Leung Chun-ying had not resigned as chief
executive and had little faith in the promise of dialogue bringing
changes.
One
used a microphone to tell police they would only leave after
officers cleared the crowd.
“I
am frightened, but we have to stand up to fight for our beliefs and
our city,” said another.
The
area had already seen angry confrontations between protesters and
residents who said the occupation had disrupted their lives and
damaged business – reflected in the large number of bystanders
yelling at the remaining demonstrators.
“We
are in China. If you don’t like it go away. This is the fucking
motherland,” said a middle-aged member of the crowd who gave his
name as CL Fu. He said he was a resident and was angry about the
disruption caused by the inconvenience.
“Of
course we love China but we are worried about damage to Hong Kong
economics. That’s why we’re here,” he added.
But
the scale and nature of the attack suggested organised violence and
the police presence remained meagre. Reinforcements did not arrive
until the violence had been going on for hours.
Police
sought to protect students from assaults by linking arms as men
tried to force their way through their lines, spat and threw objects
at the students, but they were woefully outnumbered for most of the
evening.
“The
police will take appropriate action” in Mong Kok, said a
spokesperson from the Hong Kong police force. “We will deploy
enough police to the scene to help safeguard safety and restore
public order.” She refused to comment on the number of officers
that had been dispatched, or whether they were ordinary or riot
police.
An
AFP journalist wrote on Twitter that, when she asked an officer how
many of his colleagues were present, she was told: “I also want to
know. There are not enough police.” Some journalists also reported
being assaulted by crowd members.
repeat;"
Officers
warned the students repeatedly to leave Mong Kok, saying they were
disturbing public order. A couple of hours later they urged the
opposing crowd to leave and stop blocking the road, to loud boos.
In
Causeway Bay, also the scene of attacks, men shoved female students
and shouted: “If you come to the protests, prepare to be sexually
harassed,” a Hong Kong journalist, Grace Tsoi, reported
on Twitter.
Thousands
of demonstrators arrived at the main protest site at Admiralty as
news of the violence at other locations spread. There was angry
confrontation with police at entrance to government offices.
Students raised their hands in the air as a scuffle broke out.
Protests
had ebbed earlier in the day after the chief executive’s
announcement that he had asked the chief secretary, Carrie Lam, to
speak to student representatives, as they had requested.
Protest
leaders continued to call for Leung to quit, saying the dialogue
would focus only on political reform.
Hong
Kong residents knew that Beijing’s promise of universal suffrage
for the election of the next chief executive in 2017 would come with
onerous conditions. But they were angered by the toughness of the
rules announced, describing the plans as “fake democracy”.
Pro-democracy protesters link
arms to protect a barricade from counter-demonstrators in Hong
Kong. Photograph: Philippe Lopez/AFP/Getty Images
The
row has come to epitomise broader concerns about Beijing’s growing
assertiveness in the region and the erosion of the rights and
freedoms Hong Kong enjoys – such as freedom of expression and an
independent judiciary – under the “one country, two systems”
framework.
In
Mong Kok, Angus Chan said he believed the assaults were an attempt
to provoke protesters into retaliation.
“People
are throwing things at us. They want to make it chaos,” said Chan,
23, who works in the financial sector.
Andy
Chan, 58, said he believed students should leave the site because
the occupation could not go on too long and they were disrupting
people’s lives. But he had come to protect them because he was so
angry when he heard they were being beaten.
“I’m
old – I don’t scare,” he said.
“Other
people want to make the students crazy. They will have an excuse to
use violence if we use violence and will say we’re barbarians.
“I
think they are organised. I can’t prove 100% who they are.
“They
[the government] are trying to use the people to fight against the
people. The cops are just going to stand here and watch – they are
doing nothing about people breaking laws.”
For
much of the evening police simply removed those trying to assault
students from the crowd and released them outside the area. Some of
those later returned to the scene.
After
several hours police appeared to begin formally detaining some of
the men.
This
is the official Chinese line - Hong
Kong gov't urges immediate end to Occupy Central
The
Hong Kong government issued a statement on Thursday, urging
protesters to put an end to Occupy Central protests.
From Press TV
Hong
Kong protests ‘doomed
to fail’
Traffic resumes after protestors briefly managed to block a road near the government offices in Hong Kong on October 2, 2014.
3
October, 2014
The
official Chinese newspaper the People’s
Daily says
the demonstrations being held in Hong Kong to demand more electoral
freedom are “doomed to fail,” as protesters agree to hold talks
with the region’s government authorities.
The
protesters’ demands are “neither legal nor reasonable,” read an
editorial in the People’s
Daily,
AFP reported Friday.
The protests are “against legal principles, and doomed to fail,” read the front-page piece, adding that “There is no room to make concessions on important principles” during expected talks between the protest leaders and Hong Kong’s regional authorities.
The
unrest in Hong Kong was triggered after China refused to allow open
nominations for the city’s next chief executive in 2017. The
National People’s Congress said in an August ruling that candidates
have to be nominated by a committee.
The
Chinese daily piece read, “Upholding the decision of the standing
committee of the National People’s Congress is the necessary
decision, and the only decision.”
China
has said it will introduce universal suffrage for the city’s 2017
election but has insisted that a committee must approve the
candidates.
In
reaction, protesters have demanded that Chief Executive Leung
Chun-ying step down.
The
protests have been gaining momentum in the recent past, with the
protesters launching a campaign of occupying government buildings in
Hong Kong. Despite their agreement to hold talks, the occupy
protesters have said they would maintain their “occupying actions”
if their demands are not met.
Hong
Kong is a special administrative region of China. The financial hub
has enjoyed substantial political autonomy since 1997, when its
leadership returned to China after about a century of British
colonial rule
For whatever reason these events are scarcely on the radar
of RT. There is certainly enough happening elsewhere for
them to be concentrating on.
Western media have ignored or cheered on nazi outrages in
Ukraine -somaybe they are returning the compliment
of RT. There is certainly enough happening elsewhere for
them to be concentrating on.
Western media have ignored or cheered on nazi outrages in
Ukraine -somaybe they are returning the compliment
This from Ruptly
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