Hong Kong

Hong Kong: New Epicenter Of The Empire’s Smear Campaign Against China?

July 13, 2019 By Thomas Hon Wing Polin, Counterpunch.org Educate! China, Hong Kong, Inter-Imperialist Rivalry

As the Western Empire ramps up its full-spectrum war on the Chinese, its latest target is Hong Kong, China’s premier special administrative region (SAR). Even the latest wave of media assaults confirms it. An essential adjunct to an Imperial attack on any designated victim is a sustained campaign of demonization, conducted through mainstream media and supported by associated local media. Such a drive had been onging in Hong Kong, since the former British colony returned to its motherland in 1997.

Protesters And Police Fight Pitched Battles In Late-Night Showdown After Mass Rally Against Hong Kong Extradition Bill

July 9, 2019 Phila Siu, Victor Ting, Su Xinqi and Kanis Leung, Scmp.com Resist! Extradition, Hong Kong, Police, Protests

Chaos erupted on the streets of Hong Kong’s shopping district of Mong Kok on Sunday night as hundreds of protesters fought running battles with the police. After the first mass rally in Kowloon against the government’s now-suspended extradition bill drew an estimated 230,000 peaceful protesters, many remained behind to occupy the streets of Mong Kok and confront police late into the night Officers warned the protesters that they were taking part in illegal assemblies. Police chased some protesters down and several were subdued by riot police armed with shields.

Hong Kong Protesters Say Suspension Of Extradition Bill Not Enough

June 16, 2019 Rachel Withers, Vox. Resist! Extradition, Hong Kong, Independence

Hong Kong’s chief executive Carrie Lam will “indefinitely suspend” a contentious extradition bill that would allow Hong Kong citizens to be extradited to mainland China following a series of massive and sometimes violent street protests. The New York Times reports the pro-Beijing Lam has consulted with her superiors in mainland China, and will hold off on attempting to push the bill through again in an attempt to quell public anger and avoid further violence. The government announced its decision ahead of another large protest planned for Sunday. Lam, who is reportedly known for “never backing down in a fight,” had previously vowed to press on with the bill, comparing protesters to “stubborn children,” even after as many as 1 million people took to the streets last Sunday.

More Than One Million March In Hong Kong Against Extradition Law To China

June 9, 2019 Phila Siu, Shirley Zhao, Alvin Lum, South China Morning Post Resist! China, Extradition, Hong Kong, NED

In all, 1.03 million people took part in Sunday’s march, according to the organizer Civil Human Rights Front, double the turnout of the 2003 protest. Police put the figure at 240,000. They came, young and old and from all walks of lives, to say no to the government’s proposed law amendments, which would allow the transfer of fugitives to jurisdictions with which Hong Kong has no extradition deal, including mainland China. The city’s streets were awash with white, as protesters heeded the organizers’ calls to wear the color symbolizing light. “I just had to come here today. Who knows if we will be extradited to the mainland in the future if the bill is passed? For my child, it’s an education for him today,” said Au, an IT professional.

Snowden’s Hong Kong Lawyer Being Threatened By Authorities

July 18, 2017 Raquel Carvalho, www.scmp.com Resist! Asylum, Edward Snowden, Hong Kong, Immigration

By Raquel Carvalho for South China Morning Post - Barrister Robert Tibbo says he is facing complaints from Immigration Department accusing him of having conflicting interests and breaching professional code of conduct. The Immigration Department has asked to replace the lawyer for the seven asylum seekers who sheltered American whistle-blower Edward Snowden in 2013, accusing him of breaching the professional code of conduct and of having conflicting interests, as fears of detention among the refugees grow stronger. Canadian barrister Robert Tibbo said that formal complaints were filed against him on July 13, and he was made aware of them late that Friday afternoon, just days before the seven asylum seekers – who had their protection claims rejected in May – attended their first hearing at the Torture Claims Appeal Board on Monday. “It’s another desperate attempt to prevent me from providing legal services to my clients,” he claimed. Tibbo said that the immigration director had previously tried to remove him from their cases. “They have systematically made efforts to remove me … They have come up with a myriad of excuses and allegations that were completely without any merit,” he added. According to Tibbo, the Immigration Department filed a complaint with the Hong Kong Bar Association on July 13 accusing him of a possible breach of the bar’s code of conduct.

Democracy Protests Continue In Hong Kong

July 3, 2017 Sarah Karacs, www.independent.co.uk Resist! China, Democracy, Hong Kong, Protests

By Sarah Karacs for Independent - Storm clouds loomed over Hong Kong as tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters took to the streets, giving way to a downpour as the day wore on that deterred many from joining the throngs of dissent. With last year’s protest at 110,000, as estimated by organisers Civil Rights Fronts, this year saw a reported 60,000 take to the streets, on a day that coincided with the end of the contentious three-day visit of China’s state leader Xi Jinping. Police calculate the number as being significantly lower, at a paltry 14,500. The protest, which saw participants of all ages march through the bustling streets of a city campaigning for universal suffrage and against the degradation of civil liberties, comes as Hong Kong marks its 20th anniversary since it was returned to China from British colonial rule. It has also coincided with the inauguration of new chief executive Carrie Lam, who is seen by detractors as a puppet to Beijing. The news that Nobel prize winner and Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo is terminally ill and has only recently been granted medical parole has been another source of discontent. The bad weather, and – according to organisers – anxiety around safety in an increasingly fraught political climate, meant turnout here on Saturday was much lower than the hundreds of thousands in previous years.

Thousands Join Hong Kong Vigil For Tiananmen Square Anniversary

June 6, 2017 J.R. Wu and Katy Wong, www.reuters.com Resist! Hong Kong, Vigil

By J.R. Wu and Katy Wong for Reuters - Tens of thousands of people gathered in Hong Kong on Sunday for a candlelight vigil to mark the 28th anniversary of China's crackdown on pro-democracy protests in and around Beijing's Tianamen Square, while Taiwan urged China to make a transition to full democracy. Nearly three decades after Beijing sent tanks and troops to quell the 1989 student-led protests, Chinese authorities ban any public commemoration of the event on the mainland and have yet to release an official death toll. Estimates from human rights groups and witnesses range from several hundred to several thousand killed. Hong Kong, a former British colony that returned to Chinese rule in 1997, is the only place on Chinese soil where a large-scale commemoration takes place, symbolizing the financial hub's relative freedoms compared with the mainland. This year's events are especially politically charged, coming just a month before an expected visit of President Xi Jinping to mark 20 years since Hong Kong was handed back to China. "When Xi Jinping comes, he’ll know the people of Hong Kong have not forgotten," Lee Cheuk-yan, an organizer of the annual candlelight vigil, said.

Hong Kong’s ‘Umbrella Soldiers’ Win Seats In Local Elections

November 24, 2015 Donny Kwok and Clare Baldwin, www.reuters.com Create! Democracy, Elections, Hong Kong

By Donny Kwok and Clare Baldwin for Reuters - Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement got a boost on Monday with about eight candidates involved in crippling protests last year winning office at district-level elections, while some veterans from both sides of the political divide suffered defeat. The election of the so-called Umbrella Soldiers - named after the 2014 demonstrations in which activists used umbrellas to guard against tear gas and pepper spray - reflects continued support for political change in the Chinese-ruled city. "The paratroopers are the new force," said James Sung, a political analyst at the City University of Hong Kong, referring to candidates inspired by the Umbrella movement.

Occupy Hong Kong One Year Anniversary

September 29, 2015 Jeffie Lam and Stuart Lau, www.scmp.com Resist! China, Hong Kong, Occupy Democracy

By Jeffie Lam and Stuart Lau in South China Morning Post - Occupy organisers and protesters vowed yesterday to involve the wider community in their fight for greater democracy, looking to coming elections as the key battleground, as they marked the first anniversary of last year's mass sit-ins. There was a strong sense of déjà vu near government headquarters in Tamar as hundreds returned to the site they had occupied for 79 days. They formed a sea of yellow umbrellas again, chanting the familiar slogan, "I want genuine universal suffrage". But the mood was more subdued and reflective than aggressive, while police were out in force to prevent any violence or reoccupation of roads in Admiralty.

Occupy Objects Recall Passion Of Hong Kong Protests

September 21, 2015 Vivienne Chow, www.scmp.com Resist! Art, Hong Kong, Occupy Central

By Vivienne Chow in SCMP - An exhibition of iconic objects collected from the sites of last year's Occupy protests will open on Saturday, two days before the first anniversary of the start of the pro-democracy movement. Hereafter: Objects from the Umbrella Movement will showcase 60 objects out of a total of 380 pieces collected from protest sites in Admiralty, Causeway Bay and Mong Kok. The organisers, Umbrella Movement Visual Archive, said they retrieved the objects before police began clearance operations in December to end the 79-day sit-ins. Sampson Wong Yu-hin, one of the organisers, said the passion and creative energy of the protests were unprecedented, and the objects served as a snapshot of the movement.

Hong Kong Charges Occupy Central Leaders W/ Offenses

August 29, 2015 Wen Yuqing and Xin Lin, www.facebook.com Resist! China, Hong Kong, Law, Occupy Central

By Wen Yuqing and Xin Lin in Radio Free Asia - The face of last year's pro-democracy Occupy Central movement in Hong Kong, Joshua Wong, hit out on Thursday after being charged by police for his role in the mass protests for universal suffrage in the former British colony. Wong, 18, who could face a jail term of up to five years, slammed the charges of "illegal assembly" and "inciting others to take part in an illegal assembly" as politically motivated. The charges relate to a protest on Sept. 26 during which some Umbrella Movement protesters climbed into Civic Square, part of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) government complex. Writing on his Facebook page, Wong said that the freedom of association, among a number of traditional freedoms that Beijing promised to uphold after the 1997 handover to Chinese rule, has been severely limited in the city in recent years.

Activist Faces Charges Over Hong Kong ‘White Paper’ Protest

July 8, 2015 Tony Cheung and Joyce Ng, www.scmp.com Resist! China, Hong Kong, Occupy Central, Political Prisoner, Student Activism

By Tony Cheung and Joyce Ng in SCMP - Student leader Joshua Wong Chi-fung and three other activists are set to be charged with obstructing police officers during a protest outside the central government's liaison office last summer. They say the move by police, more than a year after the protest took place, appears like a political prosecution. In a WhatsApp message to the media yesterday, Wong, convenor of student group Scholarism, said he was at the airport checking in for a morning flight to Japan to go on holiday when he received a telephone call from Western District crime squad. He was told to report to police by Thursday, when he would be charged. He was accused of obstructing officers in carrying out their duty at a protest outside the liaison office in Western on June 11 last year.

Taxi Driver Fined HK$3,000 For Refusing To Leave HK Occupy Site

June 11, 2015 Chris Lau, www.scmp.com Resist! China, Hong Kong, Occupy Central

By Chris Lau in SCMP - An Occupy activist who previously told a court that he would not forgive himself if he moved was fined HK$3,000 in Eastern Court today for refusing to leave a road divider during a clearance operation in Admiralty last year. Handing down the fine on taxi driver Yeung Tak-wah, magistrate Lee Siu-ho said: “I understand that your motive stemmed from some thoughts and a strong belief you had over some matters.” At the time of the offence, Yeung was protesting against the city’s restrictive political reform framework handed down by the National People’s Congress Standing Committee on August 31 last year. “But at the same time, you have to consider the rights and freedoms of others,” Lee added. Yeung, 55, who represented himself in court, pleaded not guilty earlier to one count of obstructing a police officer.

Hong Kong’s Umbrella Revolutionaries Slowly Back To The Streets

May 9, 2015 Rishi Iyengar, www.time.com Resist! China, Democracy, Hong Kong, Occupy Central

It has been 200 days since tens of thousands of Hong Kongers flooded the city’s streets demanding the right to freely elect their own leader, and 126 days since the police unceremoniously cleared the tent-filled villages after almost three months of occupation. The movement for democracy has largely been relegated to online forums and abstract discussions, but that isn’t the only place it resides. The handful of tents that remained in front of the Central Government Offices even after the Dec. 16 clearance has steadily grown over the past three months. Currently, 146 fabric shelters line the sidewalks of Tim Mei Avenue, where the use of pepper spray and arrest of student protesters on Sept. 27 was the spark that set the movement ablaze.

Occupy By Stealth? Hong Kong Protest Camp Grows

March 26, 2015 Joyce Ng and Clifford Lo, www.scmp.com Resist! China, Democracy, Hong Kong, Occupy

Pro-democracy protesters are gathering at the site of Occupy Central's main camp to commemorate six months since the mass sit-ins began last year. A tent community has been slowly expanding on the pavement outside the Admiralty government headquarters since police cleared Occupy's base camp on Harcourt Road and the adjoining roads in December, ending the 79-day mass sit-in. The latest feature is a "study room", which started to fully function three days ago. With seven benches, lit by fluorescent tubes powered by charging packs, the corner is a smaller version of Occupy's study room on Harcourt Road at the height of the protests.

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