HONG KONG—Thousands of jeering Hong Kong residents held a raucous anti-government protest on Wednesday at a suburban subway station that was attacked by a mob last month, angry that nobody has yet been prosecuted for the violence.
Some masked protesters clashed with police in the sub-tropical heat, spraying fire extinguishers from the inside of Yuen Long station as others smeared the floor with cooking oil to stop the police advancing.
Some demonstrators blocked station exits and sealed roads outside the station, aiming green laser beams at the lines of shield-bearing officers. Others threw empty fire extinguishers at police lines from overpasses.
It was the latest in a series of demonstrations, which have sometimes turned violent, since June against a perceived erosion of freedoms in the Chinese-ruled former British colony.
Wednesday's protest marked the night of July 21, when more than 100 white-shirted men stormed the Yuen Long station hours after protesters had marched through central Hong Kong and defaced China's Liaison Office - the main symbol of Beijing's authority.
Using pipes and clubs, the men attacked black-clad protesters returning from Hong Kong island as well as passers-by, journalists and a lawmaker, wounding 45 people.
Democratic Party legislator Lam Cheuk-ting, who was wounded in the attack by suspected triad gangsters, said he believed the protesters wanted a peaceful night on Wednesday but he could not rule out further violence - from gangsters or the police.
“It is impossible to predict... It is deeply disappointing that all these weeks later we still don’t have an independent inquiry into those events,” he told Reuters.
Squads of police were stationed on the station perimeter and some protesters jeered and shone lasers at them. A small crowd of masked young men gathered on a station balcony, swearing and cursing at police vans down a side street.
Anger erupted in June over a now-suspended bill that would allow criminal suspects in Hong Kong to be extradited to mainland China for trial. Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said again on Tuesday the legislation was dead.
The unrest has been fuelled by broader worries about the erosion of freedoms guaranteed under the "one country, two systems" formula adopted after Hong Kong's return to China in 1997, including an independent judiciary and the right to protest. Demonstrations have included the storming of the legislature and havoc at the airport.
SHARP REACTION FROM BEIJING
At a speakers' corner beneath the MTR station on Wednesday, people denounced police violence and their perceived desertion of duty on July 21.
“They just walked away," one woman said. "What kind of police are these?”
Peter, a 17-year-old student handing out free drinks and masks, said he wanted the night to be peaceful.
"We need to give the frontline fighters a rest from fighting the police, so they can fight again later if we need," he said.
The protests have prompted sharp reactions from Beijing, which has accused foreign countries, including the United States, of fomenting unrest. China has also sent clear warning that forceful intervention is possible, with paramilitary forces holding drills in neighbouring Shenzhen.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reiterated Washington's calls for China to honour its commitment to "one country, two systems".
Speaking to CBS programme "This Morning" on Tuesday, Pompeo highlighted remarks by President Donald Trump at the weekend warning against a crackdown like Beijing's suppression of pro-democracy protests in Tiananmen Square in 1989.
Trump said this would make reaching a deal he has been seeking to end a trade war with China "very hard".
In an editorial on Tuesday, China’s influential state-run tabloid, the Global Times, called Monday's comments by U.S. Vice President Mike Pence linking the trade talks to the Hong Kong protests "outrageous".
Likely worsening already strained ties between Beijing and London, a Chinese national working at Britain's Hong Kong consulate has been detained in China's border city of Shenzhen for violating the law.
Some Hong Kong companies have been dragged into controversy amid the protests.
Pilots and cabin crew at Cathay Pacific Airways described a "white terror" of political denunciations, sackings and phone searches by Chinese aviation officials.
The Hong Kong Pharmacists' Union said it was concerned about the spread of toxic chemicals from the tear gas used by police in some of the protests.
"We would suggest the protective measures and decontamination actions to be taken after the release of tear gas in your community and the mass transit system," it said in a statement.
Police responded by reading out from Wikipedia that tear gas does not harm humans. (Additional reporting by Felix Tam Writing by Nick Macfie Editing by Frances Kerry)
source: news.abs-cbn.com
Chaos gripped Hong Kong's airport for a second day Tuesday as pro-democracy protesters staged a disruptive sit-in that paralyzed hundreds of flights, saw police fire pepper spray, and a mainland journalist beaten.
Demonstrators defied warnings from the city's leader, who said they were heading down a "path of no return", and US President Donald Trump called for calm, saying his intelligence had confirmed Chinese troop movements toward the Hong Kong border.
The latest protest led to ugly scenes at one of the world's busiest airports, where small groups of hardcore demonstrators turned on two men they accused of being spies or undercover police -- and as desperate travellers pleaded in vain to be allowed onto flights.
Hong Kong's 10-week political crisis, which has seen millions of people take to the streets calling for a halt to sliding freedoms, was already the biggest challenge to Chinese rule of the semi-autonomous city since its 1997 handover from Britain.
But two days of protests at the airport have again raised the stakes for the financial hub.
Beijing is sending increasingly ominous signals that the unrest must end, with state-run media showing videos of security forces gathering across the border.
All check-ins were cancelled on Tuesday afternoon after thousands of protesters wearing their signature black T-shirts made barricades using luggage trolleys to prevent passengers from passing through security gates.
Scuffles broke out between protesters and travelers, and vigilantism occurred when demonstrators turned on two men.
Mob justice
Police have recently disguised themselves as activists to make arrests, a move which has sent paranoia soaring among protesters.
The first man was held for about two hours before eventually being led away in an ambulance. Riot police briefly deployed pepper spray and batons to beat back protesters while they escorted the vehicle away from the departures hall.
Another man, wearing a yellow journalist vest, was surrounded, zip-tied and then beaten by a small group who accused him of being a spy.
In a tweet, Hu Xijun, the editor of China's state-controlled Global Times tabloid -- which has vociferously condemned the protests -- confirmed the man was a journalist working for the paper.
The man was later driven away in an ambulance after protesters and volunteer medics carried him off.
By early Wednesday, most protesters had left and the South China Morning Post reported that the Airport Authority had obtained an injunction to remove demonstrators, although it was unclear how it would be enforced.
'Into an abyss'
On Tuesday morning, the city's leader, Carrie Lam, gave an at-times emotional press conference in which she warned of dangerous consequences if escalating violence was not curbed.
Lam faced fierce questioning from local reporters and at one point appeared to be on the verge of tears.
"Take a minute to think, look at our city, our home, do you all really want to see it pushed into an abyss?" Lam said, although she again refused to make any concessions to the protesters.
Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index fell 2.1 percent in its third straight day of losses as China's official Xinhua news agency said the economic "damage has begun to show" from weeks of protest.
The airport became a target on Monday and Tuesday after especially fierce clashes between police and protesters over the weekend in which a woman suffered a severe injury to her right eye. Protesters blamed the injury on a police bean-bag round.
Some travelers voiced sympathy with the demonstrators.
"I understand the basics of the protest and they've got a point: it's about freedom and democracy and it's incredibly important," said Pete Knox, a 65-year-old Briton on his way to Vietnam.
Others were conflicted.
Chun-sun Chan, 46, trying to fly home to his two children in Britain, said he felt for the protesters "but I can't quite reconcile with myself whether this is the right way of doing it".
'Mobsters'
The protests began in opposition to a bill that would have allowed extraditions to the mainland, but quickly evolved into a broader battle.
Authorities in Beijing on Monday slammed violent protesters who threw petrol bombs at police officers, linking them to "terrorism".
On Tuesday, state media upped the ante, calling protesters "mobsters", warning they must never be appeased and raising the specter of mainland security forces intervening.
Videos promoted by state media showed Chinese military and armored vehicles appearing to gather in the southern city of Shenzhen, which borders Hong Kong.
"Our Intelligence has informed us that the Chinese Government is moving troops to the Border with Hong Kong. Everyone should be calm and safe!" US President Donald Trump said in a tweet on Tuesday.
Earlier, speaking to reporters in New Jersey, Trump said he hoped no one would be killed in the protests.
source: news.abs-cbn.com
HONG KONG -- Empty hotel rooms, struggling shops and even disruption at Disneyland: months of protests in Hong Kong have taken a major toll on the city's economy, with no end in sight.
City leader Carrie Lam has warned that the international financial hub is facing an economic crisis worse than either the 2003 SARS outbreak that paralyzed Hong Kong or the 2008 financial crisis.
"The situation this time is more severe," she said. "In other words, the economic recovery will take a very long time."
The private sector, in particular the tourism industry, has begun counting the cost of more than two months of demonstrations that erupted in opposition to a bill allowing extraditions to China but have morphed into a broader pro-democracy movement.
The figures are stark: hotel occupancy rates are down "double-digit" percentages, as were visitor arrivals in July. Group tour bookings from the short-haul market have plunged up to 50 percent.
"In recent months, what has happened in Hong Kong has indeed put local people's livelihoods as well as the economy in a worrying, or even dangerous situation," warned Edward Yau, Hong Kong's secretary for commerce and economic development.
The city's tourism industry says it feels under siege.
"I think the situation is getting more and more serious," Jason Wong, chairman of the Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong, told AFP.
The impact is so bad that travel agents are considering putting staff on unpaid leave as they try to weather the storm, he warned.
Even Disneyland hit
Images of increasingly violent clashes between masked protesters and police firing tear gas in the city's streets have made global headlines, with protesters announcing new demonstrations throughout August as they press their demands.
A Hong Kong Tourism Board spokesperson told AFP that the number of forward bookings in August and September has "dropped significantly," suggesting the economic toll will linger throughout the summer season.
A string of travel warnings issued by countries including the United States, Australia and Japan is likely to compound the industry's woes.
The fall in arrivals has hurt Hong Kong's carrier Cathay Pacific, which was also forced to cancel flights this week during a general strike that caused chaos in the city.
And even Disneyland Hong Kong has been hit, with CEO Bob Iger telling reporters: "We have seen an impact from the protests."
"There's definitely been disruption. That has impacted our visitation there."
The retail sector has also been hit by the drop in arriving visitors hunting for bargains, shops often forced to shutter during the sometimes daily protests.
Experts say the crisis is compounding the economic downturn Hong Kong was already experiencing as a result of being caught up in the US-China trade war.
It's a "double whammy," warned Stephen Innes, managing partner of Valour Markets."
"We always take a view that oh, this too will pass. But so far that view is not holding any water... and now it seems like every weekend we're dealing with further escalations," he told AFP.
'Nastier than expected'
The property market, which fell over 20 percent during the 2008 financial crash, remains strong.
But Innes warned that the deepening crisis could result in capital outflows.
"All the money from the mainland that has propped up Hong Kong property markets could reverse as quickly as it flowed in," he said.
"This is getting a little bit nastier than any of us had expected."
The economic picture for the city was far from pretty even before the protests began, with growth shrinking from 4.6 percent to 0.6 percent year-on-year in the first quarter -- the worst quarterly performance in a decade.
Preliminary data suggests the second quarter fared no better, and while the government still hopes for 2-3 percent growth this year, predictions from major banks are more pessimistic.
Those falls reflect the effects of the US-China trade war on an economy that relies heavily on logistics processing and is vulnerable to a fall in trade.
The impact of the protests on growth will not be clear until later in the year, but Martin Rasmussen, China Economist at Capital Economics, said the crisis was likely to weigh heavily.
"In the beginning they were quite peaceful, you could say comparable to the protests back in 2014," he said, referring to pro-democracy Umbrella Movement in the city.
"Now they've become much more extreme, so we think the impact on the economy will begin to take its toll."
source: news.abs-cbn.com
Pro-democracy protesters hope to ramp up pressure on Hong Kong's embattled pro-Beijing leaders by launching a city-wide strike Monday in a bid to show there is still broad public support for their movement despite weeks of chaos.
A widespread strike would be a rare accomplishment in the freewheeling finance hub where unions traditionally have little sway.
But the movement is experimenting with more varied civil disobedience techniques after huge rallies failed to move Beijing.
The semi-autonomous southern Chinese city has witnessed two months of unprecedented protests and clashes triggered by opposition to a planned extradition law that quickly evolved into a wider movement for democratic reform and a halt to sliding freedoms.
But authorities in Hong Kong and Beijing have signaled a hardening stance with the Chinese military saying it is ready to quell the "intolerable" unrest if requested, and dozens of protesters charged with rioting.
Over the weekend riot police fired tear gas at protesters on Saturday and Sunday night.
The largely leaderless protest movement uses social messaging apps to coordinate and the strike action appears to be gaining more traction than previous strike calls in the last few weeks.
At a press conference on Saturday, strike organizers -- many hiding their identities behind masks -- said some 14,000 people from more than 20 sectors had already committed to civic action.
People from all walks of life have indicated plans online to either strike or phone in sick on Monday -- from civil servants and social workers, to flight attendants, pilots, bus drivers and even employees of the city's Disneyland.
There are also renewed calls to disrupt the city's famously efficient subway system during rush hour on Monday morning.
Activists hatched a similar plan last week that led to a couple of hours of traffic jams and backlogs, but they have had little success in bringing the city to a standstill.
'PSYCHOLOGICAL BARRIER'
Given its reputation as a bastion for free-market capitalism, Hong Kong does not have much recent history of successful labor movements.
"There's a psychological barrier for people to strike," protester and pastor Monica Wong, 40, told AFP on Sunday as she attended a large rally.
"I really understand how some people will face huge pressures from their supervisors," she added.
In a statement late Sunday, Hong Kong's government warned people against joining the strike, saying it could further hamper the city's already sputtering economy.
"Any large-scale strikes and acts of violence will affect the livelihood and economic activities of Hong Kong citizens," it said.
Alongside the strike, protesters plan to hold rallies in seven different parts of the city, the fourth day in a row that protests have been scheduled.
The last fortnight has seen a surge in violence on both sides with police repeatedly firing rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse increasingly hostile projectile-throwing crowds.
A group of men suspected to be linked to triads -- Hong Kong's notorious gangsters -- also attacked demonstrators, putting 45 people in hospital.
Under the terms of the 1997 handover deal with Britain, Hong Kong has rights and liberties unseen on the Chinese mainland, including an independent judiciary and freedom of speech.
But many say those rights are being curtailed, citing the disappearance into mainland custody of dissident booksellers, the disqualification of prominent politicians and the jailing of pro-democracy protest leaders.
Public anger has been compounded by rising inequality and the perception that the city's distinct language and culture are being threatened by ever-closer integration with the Chinese mainland.
Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam has made few concessions beyond agreeing to suspend the extradition bill, and has shied away from public appearances.
Protesters are demanding her resignation, an independent inquiry into police tactics, an amnesty for those arrested, a permanent withdrawal of the bill, and the right to elect their leaders.
source: news.abs-cbn.com
HONG KONG -- Pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong are set to defy Chinese authorities with another two major rallies later Sunday, a day after police fired tear gas to disperse them in one of the city's most renowned tourist districts.
Tsim Sha Tsui, a harborside district known for its luxury malls and hotels, was filled with acrid plumes of tear gas on Saturday night as small groups of hardcore protesters battled police in streets usually brimming with tourists and shoppers.
Semi-autonomous Hong Kong has seen two months of protests and clashes triggered by opposition to a planned extradition law that quickly evolved into a wider movement for democratic reforms.
Authorities in Hong Kong and Beijing this week signaled a hardening stance. Dozens of protesters were charged with rioting and the Chinese military said it was ready to quell the "intolerable" unrest if requested.
But the largely leaderless protest movement remains unbowed.
Two simultaneous marches are planned for Sunday afternoon as well as a city-wide strike on Monday, making further clashes all but inevitable.
One of Sunday's marches will try to end in a park near the Liaison Office, the department that represents China's central government in the semi-autonomous hub.
Two weeks ago the office was pelted with eggs and paint in a move that infuriated Beijing and sparked the rapidly escalating warnings from the mainland.
Slingshots and tunnels
The last fortnight has seen a surge in violence on both sides with police repeatedly firing rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse increasingly hostile projectile-throwing crowds.
A mob of pro-government thugs also attacked demonstrators, putting 45 people in hospital, with many accusing the police of being too slow to respond.
This weekend has seen no let up in the violence.
In Tsim Sha Tsui, masked demonstrators smashed the windows of cars in a police parking lot and daubed nearby walls with graffiti.
One team of protesters created a large slingshot -- held up by two members -- to launch bricks at the building.
Others put up barricades on busy shopping thoroughfares and temporarily blockaded a cross-harbor tunnel.
Police said they arrested "over 20 people," bringing the total number of arrests to more than 200 since the protest movement exploded on June 9.
Temple tear gas
Anger towards the police is at record levels with officers increasingly derided in chants as Beijing's enforcers -- although police deny using excessive force and say they are facing increasingly hardcore protesters.
In the early hours of Sunday morning, a large crowd of residents came out in support of the protesters after police made some arrests in the working-class district of Wong Tai Sin, which is famous for its Taoist temple.
Police used tear gas once more to disperse the crowds, many of whom were not wearing gas masks or goggles, unlike the more seasoned protesters.
However, earlier in the day tens of thousands of people filled a park to rally in support of the police, in a vivid illustration of the political polarization coursing through Hong Kong.
The rally was broadcast on Chinese state media and many participants waved Chinese flags.
Few concessions
Under the terms of the 1997 handover deal with Britain, Hong Kong has rights and liberties unseen on the Chinese mainland, including an independent judiciary and freedom of speech.
But many say those rights are being curtailed, citing the disappearance into mainland custody of dissident booksellers, the disqualification of prominent politicians and the jailing of pro-democracy protest leaders.
Public anger has been compounded by rising inequality and the perception that the city's distinct language and culture are being threatened by ever-closer integration with the Chinese mainland.
Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam has made few concessions beyond agreeing to suspend the extradition bill, and has shied away from public appearances.
Protesters are demanding her resignation, an independent inquiry into police tactics, an amnesty for those arrested, a permanent withdrawal of the bill, and the right to elect their leaders.
source: news.abs-cbn.com
