Hong Kong clashes, arrests kick-start plans to blockade city

[Bosonic]

Source: Reuters

Violent clashes between Hong Kong riot police and students galvanized tens of thousands of supporters for the city's pro-democracy movement and kick-started a plan to lock down the heart of the Asian financial centre early on Sunday.

Leaders and supporters of Occupy Central with Love and Peace rallied to support students who were doused with pepper spray early on Saturday after they broke through police barriers and stormed the city's government headquarters.

"Whoever loves Hong Kong should come and join us. This is for Hong Kong's future," publishing tycoon Jimmy Lai, an outspoken critic of China's communist government who has backed pro-democracy activists through publications that include one of the city's biggest newspapers as well as donations, told Reuters.

Occupy demanded that Beijing withdraw its framework for political reform in the former British colony and resume talks.

Read more: http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/09/27/uk-hongkong-china-idUKKCN0HM01F20140927

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Image via https://twitter.com/byAlanWong

[IDemo]

1. Occupiers getting doused with pepper spray..

That has a familiar ring to it.

[whereisjustice]

2. Intel just invested $1.5 billion in China exactly because China is not a democracy

sorry, Hong Kong you are fucked. Corporations go to China and India to avoid any chance of a real democracy looking after the best interests of the majority. Sweat shops, factory slums, worker abuse - these are a few of their favorite things.

Tsinghua Chairman Zhao Weiguo called the development of China's semiconductor industry "a national priority," adding that Intel's investment would "accelerate the technology development and further strengthen the competitiveness and market position of Chinese semiconductor companies."
http://online.wsj.com/articles/intel-invests-1-5-billion-for-stake-in-chinese-chip-makers-1411707350

Perhaps the US needs to become a communist dictatorship before companies stop building China's infrastructure.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

3. The British should have traded Weihaiwei for Hong Kong when they had the chance

Or they should have at least retained control of "Old Hong Kong" at the end of the lease on the "New Territories".

[Purveyor]

4. Goggles At The Ready As Hong Kong Activists Brace For Crackdown

By James Pomfret and Donny Kwok
HONG KONG Sun Sep 28, 2014 1:10am EDT

(Reuters) - Thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators surrounding Hong Kong government headquarters braced for a showdown with police on Sunday after accelerating a plan to shut down the heart of the global financial hub.

Leaders and supporters of the Occupy Central with Love and Peace movement, many wearing plastic capes and goggles to fend off any police pepper spray attack, urged the public to join the protest to pressure Beijing to allow free elections in the former British colony.

Publishing tycoon Jimmy Lai, a key backer of the democratic movement, said he wanted as big a crowd as possible, after a week of student demonstrations, to thwart any crackdown on a protest branded as illegal.

"The more Hong Kong citizens come, the more unlikely the police can clear up the place," said Lai, also wearing a plastic cape and workmen's protective glasses.

"I believe more Hong Kong citizens will show up later on Sunday."

Others sat tight, equipped with make-shift masks, upturned umbrellas and goggles. Tension flared shortly before noon, when police seized audio equipment being brought in by legislators amid scuffles.

more...

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/28/us-hongkong-china-idUSKCN0HN03Q20140928

[MADem]

5. Tien An Men South???

This is most definitely a "civil disobedience" action, not just a mealy-mouthed demonstration.

You're going to see people putting their lives and liberty on the line for the quaint notion of democracy. They don't want Beijing to play "Supreme Leader" and decide who is "allowed" to run for office in their enclave, or, for that matter, how many candidates are permitted to stand for office.

China, I think, will crack down sooner rather than later.

There could be "martyrs" to the cause as a consequence.

[pampango]

8. "You're going to see people putting their lives and liberty on the line for the quaint notion of

democracy."

Well said, MADem.

[Turborama]

6. Pic from the main story on Huffington Post's home page

[Bosonic]

7. Teargas & Umbrellas

Last edited Sun Sep 28, 2014, 06:46 AM - Edit history (1)

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nolan-fans

[MADem]

9. Great live feed.

Play by play, in writing:

http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1602958/live-occupy-central-kicks-hundreds-classroom-boycott-students-leave

Holy shit==buncha armored cops just marched into the crowd and set off tear gas ...

Man-they were all doing the "Hands up-don't shoot" and the cops hit them AGAIN with the gas.

This is getting very ugly, fast.

[Seeking Serenity]

10. I'm sorry, this may not be a popular opinion here, but

I think Britain was wrong for handing Hong Kong to the Chinese (and the Portuguese Macau), and that they were willfully malevolent in claiming that they trusted Beijing to keep Hong Kong's special status. They knew what the Chinese would eventually do.

I know notions of imperialism and colonialism are widely denounced here, but I think we can see that Hong Kong now would have rather remained a part of the British Commonwealth than part of the Chinese authoritarian system. I support people over concepts.

[BeyondGeography]

11. 2017 is supposed to mean the end of shite elections and the beginning of democracy

That was the deal, and Hong Kongers, lots of them, are sticking to it. This is for real.