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DAY128 september, 2014

UMBRELLAMOVEMENT

HOW THE

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A Guidebook

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The 87 volleys of tear gas fired on September 28 at democracy advocates armed with nothing more than umbrellas infuriated countless Hongkongers who until then had been mere bystanders and brought them into the streets.

Demonstrators almost immediately staked their claims by barricading major thoroughfares not just in Central but also in Admiralty, Causeway Bay and Mong Kok. Bus and tram routes were blocked. Yet police put away their weapons and riot gear, and for several days a carnival-like atmosphere pervaded the empty streets – now filled with impromptu artworks, students doing homework, a public lecture series, performances, and seemingly endless supplies of free food, water, and protective gear.

The relative calm was shattered on October 5, when anti-Occupy groups attacked the protest site in Mong Kok, injuring several protesters and leading to a number of arrests. Police again bore the brunt of criticism, with many Occupiers complaining they should have done more to protect them from violent thugs, some of whom had “triad backgrounds,” according to a senior police officer.

IntroductIon

Tear gas galvanises democracy movement

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In the following nights, violence escalated in Mong Kok, where police again resorted to pepper spray and batons in a futile effort to clear the streets.

After government officials canceled the first scheduled talks with student protest leaders, both sides eventually agreed to try again on October 21.

The “Umbrella Man” has become an iconic image of the protests. Photo: Reuters

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Fury at tear gas swells the ranks of protesters

Shocked and outraged by the tear gassing of unarmed pro-democracy protesters on September 28, social workers, delivery men, teachers – Hongkongers from all walks of life – took to the streets in massive numbers.

Felix Tang, 25, who had been protesting Sunday near Admiralty Centre, said: “No one even guessed the police would be so violent. We are unarmed; we only have our hands.”

Law Yuk-kai, director of Human Rights Monitor, said the protesters were only exercising their basic human rights for a peaceful demonstration. “The way the police cracked down on protesters was not proportionate,” he said.

Occupy Central co-organiser Benny Tai Yiu-ting praised the demonstrators for taking over more areas of the city than he ever imagined would be possible He delivered an emotional speech to the huge crowd in Causeway Bay, praising the protest movement and renewing calls for Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying to step down. Tai noted that although the movement’s name was Occupy Central, Hongkongers had also succeeded in taking over Admiralty, Causeway Bay and Mong Kok.

Demonstrators use their mobile phones to create a sea of lights. Photo: Bloomberg

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Occupy co-organiser Dr Chan Kin-man urged protesters to stand their ground and only retreat if police used weapons that could seriously injure them. “Hongkongers are fearless towards tear gas and think it is manageable,” Chan said.

Chan said the occupation of several districts had been initiated by the people themselves, not by the leaders of any organization, and thus it is “not for Occupy Central to decide the duration” of the protests.

Police adopted a more peaceful approach, putting away their weapons. Riot police were sent home “after road-blocking citizens had mostly calmed down”, the government said in a statement on its website.

Australia and Italy issued travel warnings, urging their citizens to stay away from protest sites. Authorities in Hong Kong and Beijing condemned the protests as illegal.

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‘Global Solidarity with Hong Kong’ rallies begin as Facebook turns yellow

Demonstrations of support for Hong Kong’s protesters have popped up around the world in the form of rallies, petitions and Facebook “likes.”

Organisers of ‘Support Hong Kong from Canberra,’ which took place around midday in the Australian capital, urged participants to wear black in solidarity with Occupy Central participants.

“Even if we can’t be at the scene of the protests, we are still determined to defend democracy!” declared the organisers of a rally in Adelaide. “Even if we are in Australia, our heart is in Hong Kong! Our solidarity is with students in Hong Kong!”

Demonstrations were also held in Sydney and Perth. Australia has a sizeable Hong Kong migrant population, with more than 74,000 Australians born in Hong Kong. Rallies are also planned in Paris and Kuala Lumpur.

According to Facebook page United for Democracy: Global Solidarity with Hong Kong, multiple rallies are scheduled for October 1st, the 65th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China,

A man writes a message of support for pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong, on the wall of Hong Kong House in central Sydney. Photo: Reuters

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in Toronto, Copenhagen, Hamburg, Seattle, and Dublin. Hongkongers around the world also have begun circulating petitions criticising the police response to the protests.

A petition on the White House’s website that has attracted more than 178,000 signatures asks the United States to “press the Chinese government to honour its promise of democratic elections to the Hong Kong citizenry.” The US consulate in Hong Kong said Washington supports freedom of peaceful assembly and expression in Hong Kong but is neutral in local politics.

Meanwhile, thousands of Facebook of users have changed their profile pictures to a yellow ribbon to show their solidarity with protesters’ demands for genuine universal suffrage. Around 20,000 people have “liked” a Facebook page encouraging support for the Hong Kong “umbrella movement.”

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Enveloped by clouds of tear gas smoke, a protester strikes a defiant pose during a stand-off near the government headquarters in Admiralty. Photo: K.Y. Cheng

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Chief Executive Leung digs in his heels

Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying this morning gave a strong indication he would not give in to protesters’ demands that he resign as he admitted he expects the Occupy Central movement to “last for quite a long period of time”.

Protesters continue to demand the resignation of Leung and for the general public to be allowed to nominate and elect Hong Kong’s chief executive in 2017 – without having voters’ choices limited to candidates deemed acceptable by Beijing

But in a 15-minute speech, Leung insisted that Beijing will not drop its insistence that the public only be allowed to choose among two or three nominees that meet its approval.

On universal suffrage, Leung said the Basic Law states that chief executive candidates must be put forward by a nominating committee: “I understand that this is different from what some people wanted – such as [allowing] citizens to nominate candidates. But if we don’t follow the Basic Law, we can only stand still [on political development] ... We need to think rationally, peacefully and calmly; and I hope protesters and the protest organisers can think about what is [good] for Hong Kong’s biggest long-term interest.”

Protesters in Causeway Bay covered themselves in cling wrap at midnight to ready themselves for any police action. Photo: Sam Tsang

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Many major streets remained closed to traffic, except for the odd bicycle. Photo: Dickson Lee

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A recap of Hong Kong’s Umbrella Movement in 5 minutes

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Leung praised the police for being a “high quality team that enjoys a high international reputation”. He also called on Hongkongers not to believe rumours that the People’s Liberation Army or mainland police would be mobilised to help end the protests.

The government has decided to cancel the National Day fireworks display scheduled for tomorrow.

Protesters, meanwhile, have discovered a new – and most unlikely – symbol for the Occupy movement: the humble umbrella. The brollies were used to fend off pepper spray during Sunday’s clashes, giving the protests a catchy new name: “The Umbrella Movement”.

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Beijing’s top official in Hong Kong dismissive of democracy protests

With Hong Kong’s streets filled with democracy protesters, Zhang Xiaoming, director of the central government’s liaison office, publicly responded for the first time today to the demonstrations. “The sun rises as usual,” he said with a slight smile.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying was fairly tight-lipped at today’s National Day flag-raising ceremony marking the 65th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Leung did not mention the protests. He called for “peaceful, lawful, rational and pragmatic” means in pushing forward universal suffrage.

And he reiterated his view that a popular vote, which would give the city’s 5 million eligible voters a role in choosing his successor, would be an improvement over the current system, which allows only 1,200 members of the election committee to vote.

Leung’s remarks were jeered by League of Social Democrats lawmaker “Long Hair” Leung Kwok-hung, who was uncharacteristically dressed in a suit for the occasion.

District councillor Paul Zimmerman raises a yellow umbrella - the symbol of the protests - during an official National Day ceremony attended by Chief Executive Leung

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Student protesters – including Scholarism’s Joshua Wong – cross their arms in silent protest during the October 1st National Day celebrations in Wan Chai. Photo: SCMP

Occupy Hong Kong: volunteers keeping protest clean and safe

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District councillor Paul Zimmerman, a former Civic Party member, carried a yellow umbrella, a symbol of the protest movement, as a silent rebuke of the police force’s use of tear gas on the crowds who gathered on Sunday. “CY and the police commissioner owe Hong Kong an apology, nothing less than an apology, for what they have done,” Zimmerman said.

Elsewhere, thousands of people around the world voiced support for the ongoing protests at solidarity events in more than 64 cities.

After a petition to the White House attracted around 200,000 signatures, Washington called for Hongkongers to be given a “genuine choice of candidates representative of the voters’ will.”

US lawmakers also vowed to introduce legislation to strengthen monitoring of political developments and human rights in Hong Kong.

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Leung Chun-ying, also known as CY Leung, is Hong Kong’s embattled chief executive. Pro-democracy demonstrators made his ouster from office one of their top demands, which he insists he will not do.

Leung took office on July 1, 2012, having beaten the early favourite, Henry Tang, who was tainted by the discovery of an illegal structure at his home. Leung upset many Hongkongers by beginning his first term in office with an inaugural address in Putonghua.

Demonstrators fighting for universal suffrage sarcastically refer to the 60-year-old Leung as “689”, the number of votes he received from the city’s 1,200-member election committee, which is dominated by pro-Beijing elements.

A former surveyor and real estate consultant, Leung is the wealthy son of a policeman. A HK$50 million deal between Leung and an Australian engineering firm regarding the sale of Leung’s former company prior to his becoming chief executive is currently being probed by the city’s graft-buster agency and Australian federal police.

Profile: Leung Chun-ying

Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying. Photo: Reuters

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Refusing to resign, CY Leung assigns chief secretary to meet with students

Embattled Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying last night rejected calls by protesters besieging his office for him to resign, but delegated Chief Secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor to negotiate with student leaders.

Speaking a few minutes before protesters’ midnight deadline for his resignation, Leung said he would not step down “because I have to continue to do the work of Hong Kong electoral reform.”

He said he had assigned Lam to meet representatives of the Federation of Students.

“I hope the chief secretary’s dialogue with the federation’s representatives will herald further communication with various sectors on political reform,” Leung said.

A government source said the meeting would probably take place tomorrow.

The dramatic twist came after the federation sent an open letter to Lam earlier in the day calling for dialogue. A government source said the students did not insist on Leung’s resigning and on Beijing’s

Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying (right) and Chief Secretary Carrie Lam. Photo: Felix Wong

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Hundreds of young protesters sit, sleep or stand outside the chief executive’s office in Admiralty as police officer stand guard. Photo: Felix Wong

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retracting its decision to limit electoral reform before the meeting could take place.

Tensions had risen earlier in the evening after a three-day lull. Swarms of young protesters, wearing masks and goggles, laid siege to the building housing the chief executive’s office in Tamar, Admiralty, as the midnight deadline approached.

Police in riot gear formed a defensive line, and the two sides stood eyeball to eyeball in the narrow streets outside the government building.

Just before Leung and Lam’s sudden press conference, University of Hong Kong vice chancellor Peter Mathieson and Chinese University vice chancellor Joseph Sung Jao-yiu appeared before the pro-democracy crowd and urged restraint.

While many young protesters said they were not satisfied with Leung’s response and accused him of shifting responsibility to Lam, they did not carry out a threat to storm government buildings.

Hong Kong: a day at Occupy Central

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Chief Secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, 57, has been CY Leung’s top deputy since the day he took office, July 1, 2012.

During her nearly 30 years in the civil service she has developed a widespread reputation for integrity. However, Lam’s popularity declined in the months leading up to the Occupy Central protests, amidst mounting accusations that the Leung administration serves Beijing rather than the people of Hong Kong.As recently as last year, a politician told the South China Morning Post that Lam was “single-handedly preventing Leung’s administration from falling apart.”

Profile: Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor

Hong Kong Chief Secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor. Photo: SCMP Pictures

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After angry mobs attack protesters, students call off talks

Fists flew and tempers flared as people demanding an end to the Occupy blockades clashed violently with protesters in Mong Kok and Causeway Bay.

The Federation of Students and Scholarism – two of the three main groups behind the campaign for true universal suffrage – reacted to the attacks by putting on hold a meeting with Chief Secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and accusing the police of failing to protect them.

Police at times were overwhelmed by the riotous crowds who surrounded protesters occupying the junction of Argyle Street and Nathan Road, Mong Kok. Officers escorted some protesters to safety, but the confrontation persisted into the night. Two arrests were made, and 37 people were treated for injuries.

The crowds of protesters had started to thin yesterday as stormy weather and fatigue took their toll. But chaos erupted in Mong Kok around 2pm when dozens of people forcibly removed protesters’ tents and barriers. The anti-Occupy crowd encircled demonstrators, hurling insults and plastic water bottles. Police officers were barely able to control the situation, but no riot police were deployed. Hundreds of people

A demonstrator is left bloodied after anti-Occupy groups attack the Mong Kok protest site. Photo: SCMP

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An injured student protester is escorted to safety by police in Mong Kok. There were further confrontations in Causeway Bay and Tsim Sha Tsui. Photo: Sam Tsang

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shouted at protesters to “Clear out!” and “Go home!”

Hong Kong Design Institute student Yeung Ching-fung said he was “terrified,” adding, “I am disgusted by their actions. They are in their fifties and should be our role models. But they keep swearing, insulting my family.”

Anti-triad police were deployed in Causeway Bay, where 20 burly masked men harassed protesters.

Anti-Occupy protester Jackson Tsui, 46, denied belonging to any political party or group: “[The Occupy protesters] are seriously affecting the lives of ordinary Hong Kong people and disrupting traffic. That is why I want them to go home.”

In Beijing, state media stepped up its rhetoric, condemning the pro-democracy protests as a challenge to China’s “highest authority.”

Violence breaks out in Hong Kong’s densely populated Mong Kok shopping district

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Chief Executive condemns violence as thousands attend peace rally

With thousands of Occupy Central supporters cramming Admiralty for a peace rally to protest against attacks by alleged triad thugs on Friday, the government’s Tamar headquarters remained at the heart of the week-long protests.

Meanwhile, in a sombre web video, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying said the government “strongly condemns all violent acts. The situation may probably evolve into a state beyond control, and will have serious consequences for public safety and social order.”

Leung described as most “pressing” the need for 3,000 civil servants to be allowed back to work tomorrow morning and for protesters to clear the area outside the Tamar headquarters. Occupy leader Benny Tai responded that protesters would open a channel for civil servants to reach their offices.

The Federation of Students put two conditions on returning to the negotiating table. It demanded the government “thoroughly” investigate claims that “police indulged thugs and enforced the law selectively in

Thousands of demonstrators gather in Admiralty for a ‘peace rally’ after violent mobs attacked protest camps in Mong Kok and Causeway Bay. Photo: Dickson Lee

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Occupy and anti-Occupy groups scuffle in Mong Kok. Photo: Sam Tsang

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recent Occupy protests.” It also said it would talk only to Chief Secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, not to Leung.

Pan-democrat lawmakers have accused the government of colluding with triad gangs to organize attacks on demonstrators in Mong Kok.

“The government has used organised, orchestrated forces and even triad gangs in an attempt to disperse citizens,” said Democrat James To Kun-sun, deputy chairman of the Legislative Council’s security panel.

Police said that several men arrested after attacks on demonstrators in Mong Kok had “triad backgrounds.”

Thousands gather at Hong Kong’s government HQ for pro-democracy speeches

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Creative awakening sparked by Occupy Dawn broke yesterday on a new figure standing outside government headquarters in Admiralty: a three-metre statue of a person holding an umbrella which bore a notable resemblance to the Tiananmen Square protest icon: the Goddess of Democracy.

“Milk,” the man who created the statue from hundreds of small pieces of wood, said he was inspired by a picture of an Occupy protester holding an umbrella for a police officer during the rain.

“That picture was very meaningful. I aspire for freedom and peace, and the picture showed that,” said the artist, who refused to give his full name. He said his statue is not a symbol of resistance and did not carry the same message as the Goddess of Democracy, which appeared before the military crackdown on the pro-democracy movement in Tiananmen Square on June 4, 1989.

The statue, the work of Milk and about 10 friends, is the latest example of how the protests have brought out participants’ creativity. They have mounted new road signs pointing at an expressway to true democracy. They have created hundreds of artworks based on or integrating umbrellas, the symbol of the movement.

Meanwhile, thousands of protesters remain in the streets as Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying’s deadline

Hong Kong’s latest addition to the pro-democracy counter culture outside the Hong Kong Chief Executive’s office on Sunday night. Photo: EPA

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The Umbrella statue is constructed from hundreds of small wooden boards. Photo: May Tse

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for the reopening of government buildings approaches. In Mong Kok, where there were minor scuffles between pro and anti-Occupy demonstrators, two young pro-democracy protesters got engaged to be married.

The government has announced that it is ready to open a dialogue on constitutional reform with the Federation of Students, spelling out two conditions. The first is that protesters stop blocking the pedestrian bridge connecting government headquarters and the roads surrounding the chief executive’s office. The second is that protesters stop blocking main roads in Admiralty.

The Federation of Students accused the government of being “misleading,” saying that protesters had no intention of barring civil servants from government HQ.

What do Hongkongers think about Occupy Central amidst warnings of a “tragedy”?

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A collection of umbrella designs posted on Facebook to show support for the pro-democracy move-

ment that has closed streets in Hong Kong. Photos: SCMP Pictures

Cultural critics and artists praised the movement for allowing young people to reclaim their rights to the city’s public space. The vast roads and flyovers, which are suddenly free of traffic, gave them a new freedom and imagination to redefine Hong Kong.

“There is social innovation,” said cross-media artist Wen Yau.

“Hong Kong lacks public space, which suppresses our imagination. When the rules that bind your action are suddenly lifted, you are given the freedom to redefine everything,” she said.

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Profile: Xi Jin-ping

Chinese President and General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Xi Jinping. Photo: Xinhua

Xi Jinping, 61, became the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party in November 2012 and assumed the country’s presidency in March 2013, promising that a clampdown on corruption within the party as well as a Chinese cultural renaissance would be the hallmarks of his tenure.

“To forge iron, you need a strong hammer,” he was quoted as saying when he first took office, foreshadowing his current reputation as an unyielding leader – whether in international territorial disputes or with internal dissent.

Xi has yet to comment on Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protests, but official government mouthpieces have consistently denounced them.

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Schools reopen in Central, Wan ChaiPupils of secondary schools in Central and Western and Wan Chai returned to their classrooms, some enduring traffic jams and extra-long journeys because of the continuing pro-democracy blockades.

The resumption of classes came after a week-long suspension that included two public holidays. Protesters had blocked key roads, including Harcourt Road and Cotton Tree Drive, on Hong Kong Island. Thirty-two secondary schools in the two districts reopened yesterday, while 51 primary schools will resume classes today.

Protesting students and government officials have agreed to start a dialogue on political reform. But the students reiterated that they would not end their protests in Admiralty, Causeway Bay and Mong Kok unless a substantive breakthrough is made.

Speaking after an hour-long meeting last night, the Federation of Students’ deputy leader, Lester Shum, said he had agreed with Lau Kong-wah, undersecretary for constitutional and mainland affairs, to several rounds of talks based on an equal relationship and mutual respect.

“We agreed that the meeting should [start] this week,” Shum said. “We want it to be a substantive dialogue, not just a casual chat or a consultative session.”

Pupils return to classes at King’s College on October 6. Photo: SCMP Pictures

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Britain has ‘abandoned’ Hong Kong, former Chief Secretary saysFormer Hong Kong chief secretary Anson Chan Fang On-sang has blasted the British government’s “profoundly disappointing responses” to the pro-democracy protests.

In a column in the Guardian, Chan, now head of the moderate pro-democracy think tank Hong Kong 2020, wrote that the UK has “a moral and legal responsibility” to Hong Kong, which was a British colony until 1997.

“It did after all sign a treaty, back in 1984, that guaranteed Hong Kong’s core values and way of life, including freedom of speech and assembly, until 2047,” she said.

Chan bemoaned the Britain government’s unwillingness to risk a standoff with Beijing: “Their first instinct is to keep their heads low; they just want things to carry on as before, would like the protests to disappear, and maintain good relations with China.”

Chan served as chief secretary to both the British colonial government and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government under China’s rule. She has been a sharp critic of Beijing’s electoral

Demonstrators attend a solidarity rally in London in support of protests in Hong Kong. Photo: Suki Mok

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Former Chief Secretary Anson Chan Fang On-sang. Photo: May Tse

reform framework.

Describing the city government’s reform consultation process as a “sham”, she said Beijing’s proposal – which would see Hongkongers elect the next chief executive by universal suffrage, but only after a pro-China nominating committee screens all candidates – “is in no way acceptable.”

“[Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying’s report] to the Chinese leadership was dishonest and misrepresented the sentiments of the Hong Kong people,” Chan writes.

Leung claimed that the Hong Kong government’s five-month consultation process found support for a nominating committee modelled on the 1,200-member election committee that put him in office with just 689 votes. The report also said “mainstream opinion” was against undermining the committee by giving the public a say in the nomination process.

Chan argues that the best way for Beijing to secure Hong Kong’s long-term prosperity and stability “is by allowing one person, one vote”.

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Lester Shum, deputy leader of the Federation of Students, told supporters in Admiralty before midnight that students will engage in a dialogue with Chief Secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor on Friday afternoon, but he expressed anger and disappointment over the agenda set by the government.

Shum said the agenda did not directly address the students’ demands for genuine universal suffrage and public nomination of Hong Kong’s next chief executive.

Meanwhile, Joshua Wong Chi-fung, convenor of student activist group Scholarism, noted that the number of protesters in Hong Kong’s streets has dwindled. But he urged supporters to continue the fight for the political reform and to be inspired by a protester in Mong Kok who moved his bed to the street.

Protesters have taken to singing ‘Happy Birthday’ when confronted by anti-Occupy demonstrators. Photo: Danny Mok

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Hong Kong government employees return to work along footbridge,

road still blocked

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Talks set but students denounce agenda

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Lester Shum (left) and Eason Chung of the Federation of students meet the press outside the Legco building. Photo: David Wong

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“Bring your bed, bring your tent and bring clothes here. Let’s make Harcourt Road our home,” Wong said.

Cardinal Joseph Zen visited protesters outside the Chief Executive’s Office in Tim Wa Avenue. A dozen protesters were still blocking the entrance to the office.

In Mong Kok, about 200 protesters have been camping out since last night at the junction of Nathan Road and Argyle Street, where the sit-in was held.

The situation remained generally peaceful there. Protesters often jeered their critics away by singing “Happy Birthday.”

Occupy Central hunger striker “weak in body but strong in spirit”

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Prospect of talks dims as sides disagree over agendaThe chances that pro-democracy protest leaders will meet as scheduled with the Chief Secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor on Friday diminished today as the sides continued to disagree over their focus.

Protesters are also coming under pressure from the Bar Association. The regulatory body for barristers, which last week said the police decision to used tear gas to clear the streets of Admiralty on September 28 was “excessive”, warned protesters that civil disobedience did not constitute a defence to a criminal charge.

“Even on a sympathetic view of civil disobedience, it is essential for participants to respect the rights and freedoms of other people who do not necessarily agree with their views and not to cause excessive damage or inconvenience,” the Bar Association said in a statement.

Preparations for the dialogue between Lam and student representatives appeared to take a step backward as the sides squabbled over the agenda.

Hong Kong Federation of Students deputy secretary general Lester Shum (left), and Occupy Central organiser Chan Kin-man meet the media at the main protest site in

Admiralty. Photo: David Wong

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Thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators gather in Admiralty. Photo: AP

The government said the Federation of Students’ representatives agreed on Tuesday that constitutional development under the Basic Law would be on the agenda for the first round of talks.

But the Federation’s deputy secretary-general, Lester Shum, said the demand for the government to respond to Hongkongers’ desire for democracy should be the “sole agenda”.

A government source said there was only a slim chance of the meeting taking place as “agenda and logistics … had not been sorted out”.

Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai warns not to expect too much from talks

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Government cancels talks The government called off a meeting with student protest leaders on the eve of a scheduled dialogue to discuss election reform, accusing them of trying to use the talks to encourage more people to join the mass sit-ins.

Chief Secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said the talks would not be held because the government felt they would not lead to a constructive outcome.

Lester Shum, vice-secretary-general of the Federation of Students, responded by calling on the tens of thousands of Hongkongers who have taken part in the Occupy movement to take to the streets tonight for an assembly in Harcourt Road, now renamed “Umbrella Square” by protest leaders.

About two hours before the chief secretary’s announcement, pan-democratic lawmakers and protest leaders – including the Federation of Students, Occupy Central co-founders and the student activist group Scholarism – had vowed to escalate the movement if the government failed to make “substantial responses” to their demands. These include the retraction of Beijing’s restrictive framework for universal suffrage and the resignation of Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying.

A protester naps in the middle of the street near the Admiralty protest site. Photo: Robert Ng

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Protest sites in Mong Kok are largely calm. Photo: Sam Tsang

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“With much regret, [after] the remarks made by student representatives in the past two days, especially this afternoon, I realise that the basis for a constructive dialogue has been seriously undermined,” Lam said.

She added that the government remained open to dialogue, but stressed that it would not accept protest leaders using the public interest as a bargaining chip by linking the dialogue results to their decision on retreating from protest sites.

“Their unlawful actions must end as soon as possible,” she said. However, she did not say whether the police would disperse protesters with force.

Federation of Students secretary general Alex Chow Yong-kang said that Lam had used the students’ remarks as an “excuse” to call off the dialogue.

Timelapse: thousands join rally as students vow to escalate protests

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Ranks of protesters swell againProtest crowds in Admiralty swelled into the thousands and student leaders called for a “long-term Occupy” as Hong Kong’s top officials prepared to leave the city for a regional forum in Guangzhou.

Supporters of the Occupy movement returned to the streets in a massive show of support after the government scrapped a promised dialogue with students. The crowds at the main rally site in Admiralty swelled to tens of thousands, organisers said. The police offered no estimate of the crowd’s size.

Student group Scholarism - one of the organisers - called on supporters to occupy “every inch of the streets”.

Tensions flared after the government on Thursday scrapped a meeting with student leaders scheduled to take place yesterday. Both sides accused the other of lacking sincerity.

The biggest test facing the Occupy Central protests is how to minimize the disruptions to other people’s lives so as to prevent a loss of public sympathy, says Dr. Chan Kin-Man, a co-founder of Occupy.

Thousands of protesters returned to the streets of Hong Kong after the government cancelled talks with student groups. Photo: David Wong

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He said the government had adopted a wait-and-see strategy, hoping a public backlash against the disruption would wear protesters down. “If the disruption is too serious and lasts too long, public sympathy for the movement will gradually wane,” Chan said. “It’s not easy to strike a balance.”

Chan, an associate professor of sociology at Chinese University, said Occupy organisers had suggested on Sunday that demonstrators retreat from protest sites due to safety concerns. “But the Federation of Students believed it was inappropriate to disperse ... before the government makes any concession,” he said.

“We were convinced by their argument.”

Meanwhile, there was more bad news for Leung after it was revealed that he would face investigations by both Hong Kong’s graft-buster agency an Australian police into a HK$50 million deal he signed with an Australian firm before becaming chief executive.

Pan-democrat Alan Leong Kah-kit takes to the stage in Tamar. Photo: K.Y. Cheng

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People’s Daily blames United States for Occupy protestsThe Communist Party mouthpiece the People’s Daily has accused the United States of colluding with Occupy Central protest organisers to foment a “colour revolution”.

Although a Hong Kong-based pro-Beijing newspaper has made similar claims before, the commentary published on the front page of the People’s Daily overseas edition signalled Beijing is taking its accusations to a higher level.

The commentary, “Why the US never gets bored with colour revolutions,” claimed Washington is stirring up trouble against regimes it dislikes under the pretext of supporting pro-democracy movements. The article claimed that leaders of Occupy Central had met Louisa Greve, a vice president of the US National Endowment for Democracy.

“Of course, the US will not admit it is manipulating ‘Occupy Central’, just as they will not admit it is controlling other anti-Chinese forces. They will legitimise their moves under the values of ‘democracy, freedom and human rights’,” the commentary said.

Pro-democracy notes cover a wall in Admiralty. Photo: EPA

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“Colour revolution” is a term widely used to describe various movements in the former Soviet Union during the early 2000s that led to the overthrow of governments.

A front-page commentary in the paper’s national edition last Saturday warned that any attempt to launch a “colour revolution” on the mainland from Hong Kong would be futile.

The tough rhetoric came after a US Congressional-Executive Commission on China said in a report that Beijing’s actions to restrict democracy in Hong Kong “raise concerns about the future of the fragile freedoms and rule of law that distinguish Hong Kong from mainland China”.

The commission’s chairman, Senator Sherrod Brown, called on US President Barack Obama to press Xi Jinping on the issue.

Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown, chairman of the US Congressional-Executive Commission on China. Photo: AP

dAY1210 october, 2014

Page 36

Jackie Chan tells Hongkongers to ‘love the country’Hong Kong’s controversial action star Jackie Chan has waded into a debate that has split families and caused divisions across the city: the ongoing pro-democracy protests.

In a Weibo post, Chan called on everyone involved in the protests to “work together, return to reason, face the future, love the country, love our Hong Kong.”

“I read the news that economic losses in Hong Kong are up to 350 billion,” Chan wrote. “This makes me really anxious. I believe that all Hong Kong people love Hong Kong.”

He also quoted the lyrics of the song Nation recorded by him with singer Liu Yuanyuan in 2009 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China: “Can there be a prosperous home without a powerful country?”

Jackie Chan at a press conference in Romania. Photo: AFP

dAY1210 october, 2014

Page 37

Scholarism leaders Agnes Chow (second right) and Joshua Wong (right). Chow stepped down as spokeswoman, citing “stress and exhaustion”. Photo: Felix Wong

Exhausted student leader leaves spotlight Prominent student protest leader Agnes Chow Ting has quit as a spokeswoman for Scholarism, citing exhaustion and stress as the pro-democracy movement continues.

“I am sorry. But I am only a 17-year-old. I am very lost and tired in front of the exceptional pressure. I hope everyone can respect my decision,” she said.

Chow said she would remain a member of the group, but would no longer represent Scholarism in interviews and newspaper columns.

Chow joined Scholarism in May 2012 as a Form 4 student. Scholarism’s convener and founder, Joshua Wong Chi-fung, who turns 18 on Monday, was on the cover of the Asia edition of Time magazine this week.

The pair have been in the media spotlight since Scholarism took a leading role in protests against plans to make “patriotic” national education mandatory in public schools in 2012. Some 120,000 people surrounded government headquarters during the protests, and the plans were eventually dropped.

The current protests’ student leaders have issued an open letter to President Xi Jinping in which they blame for the current deadlock at the feet of Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying. “The Occupy movement in Hong

dAY1311 october, 2014

Page 38

Student leader Agnes Chow said she was exhausted by her role the democracy movement. Photo: AFP

dAY1311 october, 2014

Kong is definitely not a colour revolution. It is a movement by Hongkongers in pursuit of democracy,” the letter states.

Chief Secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor is sticking to her decision not to meet with student leaders for the time being.

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dAY1412 october, 2014

Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying says protests will not make Beijing bend. Photo: Felix Wong

Protesters have ‘almost zero chance’ of success, says CY Leung Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying says protesters have an “almost zero chance” of forcing Beijing to drop its restrictive framework on Hong Kong’s elections.

Leung also said any talks not based on the Basic Law and the National People’s Congress Standing Committee’s ruling would not be meaningful, referring to calls by pan-democrats and student groups to allow the public to nominate chief executive candidates.

“If the pre-condition is to put aside the Basic Law and the [Standing Committee] decisions, I believe all of us know that the chance is almost zero,” Leung told TVB.

He reiterated that he will not resign, as the students have also demanded. “I believe that my resignation will not solve the problem,” Leung said. “It is because the students and other occupation protesters demand more than that. They want the Standing Committee to withdraw its August 31 decision. That is impossible.”

Leung called that protests a “mass movement that has spun out of control.” He said twice that he is

Page 40

dAY1412 october, 2014

Taxi drivers demand that barriers in Admiralty be removed. Some barriers in Mong Kok were removed yesterday. Photo: Sam Tsang

confident the protests “cannot go on for a long time.” He added that it was the police’s decision to use tear gas on September 28 but indicated he was involved in the decision to stop using it.

His remarks came as the stalemate on talks continued after the government last week called off a meeting with student leaders in response to the protest groups’ plans to escalate their action.

The Federation of Student’s deputy leader, Lester Shum, said his group appreciates that public nomination could not be achieved in a single step. “If the government thinks public nomination is not in line with the Basic Law, can it not ask [Beijing] to amend the Basic Law?” he said.

Throughout the day yesterday, the protests remained largely peaceful. By evening hundreds of tents had been set up in Mong Kok and Admiralty.

Hong Kong’s Occupy Mong Kok: A scene of political discourse, among other things

Watch it noW

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June 2014

10

The front line barricade of Occupy Mong Kok on Nathan Road is made of trash barrels. Photo: EPA

Never retreat, a Mong Kok state of mind No one was giving orders and communication was sporadic at best, but within hours of protesters being tear gassed beneath the shimmering towers of Admiralty two weeks ago a new front had opened in the fight for universal suffrage in an altogether different place.

As Hong Kong Island took its first breath after that day of turmoil, the pounding heart of gritty, business-savvy Mong Kok was blocked by barricades at the intersection of Nathan Road and Argyle Street. The protest there grew organically, as a few dozen citizens scrambled to move whatever objects they could find - from bus stop posts to rubbish bins and construction waste - to build barricades at either end of what is now a self-ruling protest site in the bustling district known for its coarseness and alternative culture.

“We moved things around like ants, while others stood on the roof of nearby MTR exits, keeping look out for the police,” said George Chu Ka Wun, who helped set up the Mong Kok protest site, fuelled by indignation at the use of pepper spray and tear gas. “All along, nobody was taking the lead. We just instinctively knew what we should be doing.”

Thirteen days on, the site has evolved from just a few barricades to a fully furnished settlement with self-made marquees, tents, beds and religious shrines. Its occupants have faced hostility and violence from opponents and what they believe to be “defeatist” calls for retreat from movement organisers. With a

Page 42

June 2014

10

Scuffles break out between Occupy protesters and opponents in Mong Kok. Photo: Sam Tsang

hardline stance that has left them feeling alienated from events across Victoria Harbour, the mission has taken on a life of its own.

“Originally, the purpose of setting up a site in Mong Kok was to help protect the students in Admiralty by stretching the police resources,” said Chu.

Last Friday and Saturday, a mob attacked them and tore down their tents. Protesters, journalists and police officers were injured. Police said some of 19 people arrested were linked to triads but refuted accusations that they were colluding with the thugs.

Now, although the crowd has thinned, tents have been rebuilt. Protest slogans have been plastered back on the walls. Many carry a simple message: “Never retreat”.

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dAY1513 october, 2014

Opponents of the Occupy Central protests brought in a crane to scoop up metal barriers and dump them into a truck in Admiralty. Photo: Jeffie Lam

The battle of the barricades Hundreds of Occupy Central opponents converged on Admiralty around lunchtime yesterday in what appeared to be a well-orchestrated and carefully timed operation to remove road barriers that had paralysed traffic for more than two weeks.

Tense confrontations and scuffles with Occupy protesters ensued, and at least 22 people were arrested.

The chaotic scenes were the first to break out at the Admiralty protest site since police backed down after using tear gas on thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators on September 28.

A police source said initial investigations indicated the anti-Occupy activists were from the transport industry and included taxi and minibus drivers.

Eddie Ng Yip-pui, director of the Taxi Drivers and Operators Association, said his organization had mobilised about 200 taxi drivers and their relatives to challenge the blocking of Admiralty roadways. Ng said they wanted to express their grievances about business losses caused by the occupation.

Hours later, Occupy activists showed their craftsmanship and resilience by erecting bamboo barricades to replace ones cleared by their opponents and the police. Protesters built a number of large barricades to

Page 44

dAY1513 october, 2014

Poles threaded through bins in Admiralty. Photo: SCMP Pictures

defend and block Queensway, east-bound and west-bound.

Self-employed information technology worker Alec Lee, 45, said: “I only learned how to do this when I came here. There were some construction workers teaching us how it can be done.

“The thing is, the police said this morning they were just retrieving government property when they took away railings and cleared some of our barricades. Now they can’t use the same excuse because the bamboo is private property.”

Protesters said some unknown supporters transported dozens of pieces of bamboo, each several metres long, for them to build the barricades in the afternoon.

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June 2014

10

An anti-Occupy protester armed with a knife to cut the plastic cords that bound together barriers is arrested by police during the turmoil in Admiralty.

Photo: Edward Wong

Triads infiltrated both sides, say police Up to 200 gangsters from two major triads were mobilised to infiltrate the camps of supporters and detractors of the Occupy protests during chaos in Mong Kok more than a week ago, police said.

“They were well organised and came with a purpose,” Superintendent Dan Ng Wai-hon of the Organised Crime and Triad Bureau said. “Police have been keeping a close watch on some senior triad members. Some have gone into hiding already.”

Investigators are checking whether the triads were trying to end the protests, which had harmed their businesses, or had been paid to add fuel to the fire.

The mayhem that broke out on October 3 and 4 led to the arrests of 47 people, including at least eight with low-level triad backgrounds. Since then, 300 plain clothes officers from the Criminal Investigation Department to Mong Kok have been assigned to preventing triads from creating more trouble, Ng said.

Of the October 3 chaos, one police source said: “They split into two groups, but most of them posed as supporters of Occupy students. This group wore yellow ribbons and mixed with protesters, while the other donned blue ribbons and mingled with Occupy opponents.

dAY1513 october, 2014

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June 2014

10

Police in Mong Kok. Photo: SCMP Pictures

“They stirred up trouble at different locations around the junction. As officers tried to stop the clashes, the gang, standing behind the students, hurled stones, hard objects and plastic water bottles. Some even punched our officers.”

Ng described as “ridiculous” accusations that police had colluded with triads, saying the low police presence in the area on those two days was because of a lack of intelligence information.

“There were triads in Admiralty, too, but even though we know they are triad members, we cannot arrest them if they do nothing more than sing songs for democracy,” he said.

dAY1513 october, 2014

Page 47

June 2014

10

Reporter Jeffie Lam on the ground in Admiralty. Photo: Edward Wong

An occupation becomes a community After covering the protests in Admiralty from the beginning, reporter Jeffie Lam spent a night with the demonstrators. Here is her report:

Taking off my eye mask, I find myself in the middle of Harcourt Road under a rising sun at the start of the 14th day of the occupation. People jog and bike between the colourful tents, while others dish out free newspapers and breakfast.

I’m surprised to find it’s already 7am as I check my phone after camping outside government headquarters. My back is sore, but I managed some quality sleep.

About 10 students are revising their schoolwork at a “study corner” underneath the Admiralty Centre flyover. At the other end of the road, a group of athletes are getting ready for an “Umbrella Marathon” from Central to Wan Chai on roads usually filled with traffic.

Inside the ladies’ room, colourful post-its with encouraging messages are stuck on the doors while the overwhelming amount of shared skin care and cosmetics fills almost every space near the sink. It’s a system based on mutual trust.

dAY1513 october, 2014

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June 2014

10

The movement has been nicknamed the ‘Umbrella Revolution’. Photo: AFP

Back at the tent, my “neighbours” are a family of three including a girl aged about six, while the men behind me share their views on everything from office politics to the city’s conflicts. It’s interesting to see how the movement has brought different parties together at this odd hour. I see banners with slogans that call on Hongkongers’ collective memory, parents twisting balloons into an umbrella shape to make their kids happy, and young people forming a circle singing Under the Vast Sky by the band Beyond.

A group of people - strangers until a minute ago - are learning how to make an “umbrella” by folding post-it notes. It is surreal to see how one of the city’s busiest arteries has been transformed into a vital, self-sustained community.

dAY1513 october, 2014

Page 49

Police officers remove the barricades on Queensway in Admiralty. Photo: Sam Tsang

Police reclaim more roadways Defiant democracy protesters vowed to stay at their encampments despite a police operation yesterday morning that cleared many of their makeshift barricades in Admiralty and Causeway Bay.

Late on Monday and into yesterday, protesters had built reinforced barricades, using bamboo, metal, wood and cement. Police quickly cleared those yesterday morning using hand and power tools, including chainsaw. That allowed commuters and local residents to begin travelling along Queensway in Admiralty and on Hennessey Road in Causeway Bay for the first time in more than a fortnight since the start of the Occupy Central protests.

Chief Superintendent of the Hong Kong police’s public relations branch, Hui Chun-tak, said police soon will also remove large obstacles from the protest site in Mong Kok to restore partial, if not full, traffic access to the area.

Hui urged protesters not to prevent officers from doing their jobs, “Otherwise, [protesters] will be removed,” he said. “We do not rule out making arrests,” he added.

“Before a clearance – that is, to clear all the protesters – police will give warning in advance so that protests can leave,” he said.

dAY1614 october, 2014

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Chief superintendent of the Hong Kong police’s public relations branch, Hui Chun-tak, speaks to the media. Photo: SCMP Pictures

As night fell, protesters took control of a road near the government headquarters in Admiralty. Trouble erupted when activists rushed into the westbound side of Lung Wo Road outside the Chief Executive’s Office about 9 pm. One of them climbed onto a road barrier and was then pulled back by police officers, triggering the confrontations.

Riot police responded with pepper spray and batons, but protesters later cleared a lane so officers could retreat.

dAY1614 october, 2014

Page 51

Ken Tsang appeared to have sustained severe bruising following an alleged beating caught on camera and aired on television. Photos: Civic Party

TV footage of police beating protest reinvigorates demonstrations Democracy protests that had appeared to be dwindling have been reignited by television footage that appears to show a group of plainclothes police officers violently attacking an unarmed and restrained protester as he lay on the ground.

The footage, captured by a TVB film crew during the overnight police operation to clear a road near government headquarters in Admiralty, appears to show seven officers taking turns kicking and punching Civic Party member Ken Tsang Kin-chiu. The 39-year-old Tsang said he will take legal action, describing the attack as “brutal.”

The video, which is several minutes long, sparked a storm of controversy with hundreds gathering outside government and police headquarters last night to demand that the alleged attackers be punished.

Traffic on Lung Wo Road, the thoroughfare just outside the Chief Executive’s Office, was blocked for several minutes around midnight before police drove the protesters away.

dAY1715 october, 2014

Page 52

A pro-democracy protester cries as he holds a placard with photos of Ken Tsang, a protester hospitalized after allegedly being beaten by police while tied up. Photo: Reutersa

The video prompted the police complaints division to set up a special task force and sparked an outpouring of calls for calm and restraint from the city’s richest tycoon, Li Ka-shing, senior politicians and religious groups.

It also led Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying to cancel his first question and answer session of the new legislative

Meanwhile, Jimmy Lai Chee-ying’s pro-democracy Apple Daily newspaper has asked the High Court to impose a ban on protests by anti-Occupy groups outside its headquarters that have interrupted its operations for at least three nights.

dAY1715 october, 2014

Page 53Printed and published by South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd, Morning Post Centre, 22 Dai Fat Street, Tai Po Industrial Estate, Tai Po, Hong Kong. Tel: 2680 8888.

A16 Saturday, October 11, 2014

Rubber bullets

Water

Physical barriers

Long-range acoustic device

Mounted police

Non-lethal methods

Riots and protesters

Occupy Central major events

Hit body by a velocity of 60m/s

The goal is to isolate or prevent passage of demonstrators

Rubber cover

Size varies depending on firearm used

CausesDepending on the impact injuries can range from bruising to skull fractures, and even death

Here are the most common methods police officers around the world use to maintain and/or restore order

Pepper spray

While not overly dangerous, impact may cause bruising and slippery surfaces can be hazardous

Can become dangerous by impeding free passage if a large crowd stampedes. Protesters are also able to reverse the situation and use as barricade against police and traffic

The horse serves to intimidate through its size. May be sent into a crowd to help officers detain specific trouble makers or offenders from the crowd

Worldwide, all kind of crowds

1901-1910 1911-1920 1921-1930 1931-1940 1941-1950

1966 Kowloon riotsTook place over three nights on the streets of Kowloon over the government's decision to increase Star Ferry fares

1956 Hong KongRiots between Pro-Communist and pro-Nationalist civilians

1982 Central, Hong Kong After of a car accident a young crowd staged protests which eventually turned into riots

Significant protests in the past 60 years

1951-1960 1961-1970 1971-1980 1981-1990 1991-2000 2001-2010

Used

During the US Republican National Convention of 2004 and Occupy Wall Street protests of 2011

Used

2011, England riots

Used

Riot in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 25,000 protesters fired upon by police using water cannons and tear gas

Used

1972, First used by British to quell riots in Northern IrelandUsed

September 28 in AdmiraltyUsed

Source: SCMP research SCMP Graphic: Adolfo Arranz

Induces headaches, panic, and potential hearing loss

Falls, shoves and bruises

Tear gas

Irritating mucous membranes: eyes, nose, mouth and lungs

CausesCrying, sneezing, coughing, difficulty breathing, eyes sting, and temporary blindness

Cartridge case

Percussion primer

Projectile

37/38mmtear gascartridge

CS gas Chlorobenzylidene malonitrile

Effects on body

Effects on body

Effects on body

Effects on body

Effects on body

Effects on body

Occupy Central protester Riot police

High velocity streams of

water prevent demonstrators’

progress forcing crowds to disperse

From time to time governments across the world need to control crowds, demonstrations and riots. Here we take a close look at the means available for law enforcement and the latest developments of the protests in Hong Kong

Crowd control 106

11

13

1516

1817

10

60

44

15

1

23

4

6

7

5

9

8

1967 Hong Kong riotsLeftist demostrations and riots between pro-Communists and establishment sympathisers took place over 9 months

10.3m

Composed of steel or plastic

2011 Arab springHundreds of protests spread across the Arab countries

Sometimes just rubber-coated steel bullets

Low-frequency sonic weapons emit pain-inducing tones

The symbol of the Occupy Central protests protects against sun and rain as well as projectiles fired by police

Umbrella

Protesters are very well organised and many of them use this way of comunnication

Walkie-talkie

Widely used to hang posters with slogans

Adhesive tape

Surgical mask

To protect against tear gas

Plastic goggles

With visor and nape protection pad

Helmet

Gas mask contains a canister filter and inner mask to reduce fogging of lenses

S10 NBC respirator

Occupy Central protesters have drawn attention worldwide for their non-violent behaviour and civility

The Hong Kong riot police used tear gas against protestors outside government offices on September 28. To date there have been no further attempts to forcefully break up the protests

Widely used by protesters to bind and strengthen the stalls, awnings, banners, etc

Bridles

Without pistol

Holster

Yellow ribbon

Usually bicycle or skateboard helmet to shield the head. Not all protesters carry them

Helmet

Ammunition bag

Can fire a 38mm tear gas cartridge up to 300 metres

Federal M201-Z riot gun

2004-2005 Orange RevolutionDemonstrations, civil disobedience and peaceful civil resistance against the election results in Ukraine classified as fraud, resulting in a re-vote ordered by Supreme Court

Key

Sep 28 Sep 29 Sep 30 Oct 1 Oct 2 Oct 3 Oct 4 Oct 5 Oct 6 Oct 7 Oct 8 Oct 9 Oct 10Sep 27Sep 26Sep 25

ScufflesTear gas used Pepper spray used Detentions by policePeaceful day Violent day

Stink bombs or liquids are sometimes mixed with water causing foul odour

Page 54

Chief Secretary Carrie Lam, Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Raymond Tam, and Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying (at microphones) speak to the press

at Government House. Photo: Felix Wong

CY Leung again raises possibility of talks Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying has expressed hope that talks between top officials and student leaders can start next week, but he again rejected the demand that Beijing allow public nomination of candidates for chief executive in 2017.

Leung said talks with the students had “to be based on the Basic Law and the decision by the National People’s Congress Standing Committee”. He continued, “There is no issue of making a compromise or not. We can’t turn something unlawful into lawful.”

His comments came amid news that seven police officers alleged to have beaten Civic Party member Ken Tsang Kin-chiu had been suspended.

Alex Chow Yong-kang, of the Federation of Students, said the group is willing to begin a dialogue. But he said it is “unreasonable” to ask protesters to clear the streets before the talks were over. “If [Leung] is offering to talk but at the same time ordering police to clear the scene violently, the people will know how sincere he is,” Chow said.

Meanwhile, a pro-Beijing lawmaker in Hong Kong has claimed that the umbrellas carried by pro-democracy protesters are more dangerous than the tear gas and pepper spray police have used against them. Leung

dAY1816 october, 2014

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Conspiracy theorists claim the US is the “black hand” behind Occupy. Photo: AFP

dAY1816 october, 2014

Che-cheung told colleagues today that the evidence was there in classic Hong Kong kung-fu movies, where the hero used an umbrella to fight the villain.

“The umbrella can be used as shelter from the rain and the sun, as a walking stick, or as a stick to [protect yourself] from stray dogs … It’s aggressive,” the lawmaker continued. “But tear gas and pepper spray are useless weapons … because they cannot make protesters fall [down], they just come back time after time.”

Hong Kong police use pepper spray in Lung Wo Road clear-out operation

Watch it noW

Page 56

Protesters and police scuffle in Mong Kok. Photo: KY Cheng

Police and protesters continue battle over blocked roads Police and protesters clashed again tonight in Mong Kok, causing a blockade of both Nathan Road and Argyle Street.

At Lung Wo Road in Admiralty, protesters dashed onto the road in a bid to stop traffic. Police with masks and batons pushed protesters back onto the pavement and warned then they would be arrested if they tried to block the road again.

Occupy Central issued a statement condemning Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying’s administration for launching clearance operations before dialogue with students got underway.

“The clearance has triggered off a new round of occupations and worsened the relationship between police and citizens,” the statement read.

In repeated confrontations in Mong Kok, riot police formed a line charging towards protesters with their

dAY1917 october, 2014

Page 57

Police use pepper spray and batons to try and disperse the 9,000 people massed in Mong Kok. Photo: EPA

dAY1917 october, 2014

batons drawn, forcing demonstrators without umbrellas to retreat.

Meanwhile, at Lung Wo Road outside government headquarters in Admiralty, a teenage girl and boy were taken away by police, after some protesters dashed onto the road in a bid to stop traffic.

Police have brought in dogs to deter protesters from approaching the road, which has been periodically blocked by flash mobs over the past few nights.

Hong Kong lawmakers react to alleged police beating of Occupy Central protester

Watch it noW

Page 58

dAY2018 october, 2014

Police confront pro-democracy protesters trying to reoccupy Nathan Road in Mong Kok early this morning. Photo: Sam Tsang

Police wield pepper spray and batons in Mong Kok Police fought to take control of the Mong Kok protest site again early this morning, after a day which saw significant progress toward having student protesters sit down with government officials.

Pepper spray was used at least once to try to disperse protesters.

“I saw officers hitting protesters with batons. Several protesters suffered head injuries and were bleeding. They also dismantled supply stations,” the protester, who gave his surname as Lo, said.

One of the student protest leaders, Lester Shum from the Federation of Students, was present at Mong Kok. He said that the demonstrators there were upholding the principles of civil disobedience and that he didn’t know why officers had charged at them.

“We are not gangsters. Even if you beat us until we bleed, we will come back as we want genuine universal suffrage and civil nomination,” Shum said.

In a statement, police condemned protesters’ actions, saying they had severely disrupted public order. “In

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dAY2018 october, 2014

Hong Kong’s riot police stand guard as pro-democracy protesters re-occupy Argyle Street. Photo: EPA

the small hours of today, a large number of people who were illegally occupying the carriageway on Nathan Road near Argyle Street in Mong Kok suddenly attempted to charge police cordon lines … Police then gave warnings to them repeatedly, including displaying warning banners, to urge them to stop charging police, but was ignored.

“Police thus took resolute action by applying minimum force to disperse them to prevent the situation from deteriorating. After putting back the mill barriers at scene, police returned to the original cordon lines. Police did not carry out clearance.”

Violent clashes in Mong Kok lead to arrests and injuries overnight

Traffic near normal as police remove barriers in Mong Kok, remaining protestors won’t move

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dAY2018 october, 2014

Paula Bronstein was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage after jumping onto a car to take photos. Photo: Reuters

FCC defends charge police are intimidating reporters covering protests The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Hong Kong last night defended a statement condemning police treatment of journalists covering the pro-democracy protests.

On Friday night, only hours after journalists were caught between police and protesters in violent clashes, the FCC released a statement deploring the arrest of American photojournalist Paula Bronstein and alleged threats to other reporters.

The club received about a dozen responses yesterday, several criticising it. One critic said: “It seems that you are condoning Ms Bronstein’s illegal acts and are apparently advocating that journalists should be above the law. However, they are not.”

Club president Jitendra Joshi stood by the release. “We have every right to be concerned about signs that some police officers have been trying to intimidate journalists covering the protests.”

Joshi said Bronstein jumped onto the bonnet of a car because she felt “physically threatened”. The veteran

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dAY2018 october, 2014

A journalist collapses in agony after being hit in the face with pepper spray by police in Mong Kok. Photo: AFP

journalist was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage after the driver complained.

Yesterday, the 60-year-old freelance photographer for Getty told the South China Morning Post that she had made a snap decision as she feared for her safety. “Somehow I ended up in the space where I was shooting the police and then they were coming towards me and getting pushed into the vehicle. It was borderline chaos.

“It was a very fast-moving situation, pushing and shoving, very tense, very volatile. and I was absolutely worried about my personal safety. It was a split second decision; I wasn’t up there long “

Bronstein took one photo when she was on the bonnet. She said, “If you look at that, it’s pretty obvious. You have one policeman with his arms outstretched trying to hold back what looks like 500 people.”

She said arresting her was unreasonable. “I was wearing sneakers and I’m a very petite woman, I’m not an elephant,” the Bangkok-based photographer said.

Separately, Ronson Chan Ron-sing, an editor with Oriental Daily News’ online television unit, said he may file a complaint after he was pepper sprayed on Friday night following an argument over where he could film.

He said: “They pushed my colleague with a baton and later pushed both me and my colleague onto the ground. I pointed at them and asked why they used force on my colleague, and then they started to pepper spray me.”

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dAY2119 october, 2014

Police in Mong Kok, where protests are more violent. Photo: K.Y. Cheng

People’s Daily sees drive for ‘self determination’ For the first time, the People’s Daily, China’s official mouthpiece, today linked the Occupy movement to an attempt to seek Hong Kong’s political independence. The movement’s organisers want Hong Kong to have “self-determination” and even to be “independent,” the newspaper said in a commentary.

Protests in Mong Kok are getting increasingly violent as the political elite gather in Beijing for a four-day meeting today. Dozens of people, including police officers, were injured in clashes over the weekend.

“There are external forces getting involved,” Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying said on a television talk show. “This is not entirely a domestic movement, and it is getting out of hand.”

Pan-democrat lawmakers, in a joint statement, said the confrontations have resulted from Leung’s attempt to clear the rally site in Mong Kok. They urged restraint on both sides.

“It is biased to call this movement ‘out of control’ or ‘riotous’. A vast majority of protesters are peaceful,” they said.

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dAY2119 october, 2014

Andy Tsang, Leung Chun-ying and his wife, Regina Leung Tong Ching-yee, and Deputy Police Commissioner Tony Wong Chi-hung at the Bauhinia Awards ceremony.

Photo: SMP

Silence at the top puzzles police officers Many men and women in Hong Kong’s 28,000-strong police department are puzzled by their superiors’ low profile.

Until yesterday neither police commissioner Andy Tsang Wai-hung nor his top lieutenants had appeared in public since the 87 rounds of tear gas were fired. In a statement yesterday, Tsang delivered a stinging attack on what appears to be the increasingly violent approach of some protesters.

Several sources within the force say Tsang’s low profile is the result of a dispute with Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying. One source said the government fears Tsang might further inflame the situation.

There appeared to be a frostiness when Tsang and Leung appeared at the Bauhinia Awards ceremony yesterday.

“There is a strong sense of puzzlement in the ranks over why the commissioner and his deputies have played such a low-profile role at a time when the men and women under his control have been put through the wringer. It would be a huge morale booster if they had been seen more,” said one long-serving officer.

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dAY2119 october, 2014

Protesters guard the barricades in Mong Kok early yesterday. There have been violent clashes in the area since police reclaimed part of the rally site on Friday. Photo:

Sam Tsang

“There are some who feel they are being hung out to dry. Where is the boss when you need him? Has he been hidden away on orders from the Hong Kong government, or worse, from Beijing?” the officer continued.

Another officer said: “Many think he has fallen out with the CE. He has a reputation for leading from the front, for being a genuine hard man and for supporting his troops. So where the hell is he?”

Yesterday Tsang said of the clashes in Mong Kok: “I have a message from the bottom of my heart: These illegal acts are hurting Hong Kong, hurting our society.”

The police force’s four staff associations have issued an unprecedented call for unity: “Officers have been and remain subject to extreme antagonism, intimidation, emotional, mental and physical stress, severe fatigue and danger. We ... stand united as a Federation in offering our collective full and unwavering support to officers who require our assistance.”

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dAY2220 october, 2014

Police said the protest area in Mong Kok is “on the verge of a riot”. Photo: KY Cheng

Leung worries wide-open elections would empower the poor Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying told media that if the government met pro-democracy protesters’ demands it would result in the city’s poorer people dominating elections.

In an interview with foreign media, carried in the Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times and the International New York Times, the embattled chief executive reiterated that free elections are impossible.

Leung, who leads a city of 7.2 million people because he won 689 votes from an election committee, said that if candidates were nominated by the public then the largest sector of society would likely dominate the electoral process.

“If it’s entirely a numbers game and numeric representation, then obviously you’d be talking to the half of the people in Hong Kong who earn less than US$1,800 a month [HK$13,964.2],” Leung said.

Demonstrators have paralysed parts of Hong Kong with mass rallies and road blockades for more than three weeks, in one of the biggest challenges to Beijing’s authority since the Tiananmen pro-democracy protests of 1989.

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dAY2220 october, 2014

Protesters remain in the streets of Mong Kok. Photo: KY Cheng

China has offered Hongkongers the chance to vote for their next leader in 2017. But only those vetted by a committee expected to be loyal to Beijing would be allowed to run--a process protesters deride as“fake democracy”.

The chief executive said, however, that the government is prepared to give student protesters a fair hearing. Leung said, “We are all ears. There could be a compromise, somewhere in between, by making the nomination committee more acceptable to these students.”

Meanwhile, defiant protesters refuse to budge in Admiralty and Mong Kok, despite court orders requiring them to leave. The orders do not cover Causeway Bay.

Police have declared that Mong Kok, where hundreds of protesters remain in the streets, is “on the verge of a riot”.

“We are very worried about the situation in Mong Kok and consider the unlawful situation to be moving towards a riot,” police spokesman Steven Hui Chun-tak said. Hui appealed for children and students to leave for their own safety.

“Apparently these people come prepared,” Hui said, referencing “radical protesters and troublemakers” who bring umbrellas, helmets and goggles.

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dAY2220 october, 2014

Lego protesters stand-off with police in riot gear. Photo: SCMP Pictures

Lego Occupy Central recreates protests in miniature Occupy Central has been captured in minute detail in Admiralty where a demonstrator protester has used Lego blocks to recreate scenes from the protests.

Natalie Chan, a 25-year-old sales representative, has spent the past week remaking notable moments of the movement, including the alleged police beating of protester Ken Tsang Kin-chiu. She has also included details like individual face masks for Occupiers.

“The hardest part was making the blue ribbons for the anti-Occupy protesters so people can distinguish between the miniature figures,” said Chan, who has spent the last 10 nights at Admiralty.

“I had to make blue ribbons or umbrellas for almost every ‘minifig’. Yesterday people started making plastic armbands to protect themselves from the police, so I had to add those.”

Chan said she got the idea for a Lego production because “I wanted to pull myself out of the situation to see if I would get a different perspective.”

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dAY2220 october, 2014

A student protester gets help with her homework while occupying Causeway Bay. PHOTO: Joyce Murdoch

She continued, “I’ve got nothing better to do when I’m here at night. And making this scene can help people understand the protests more, so I think it’s meaningful.”

The scenes even show Chan’s sense of humour. For example, one Lego protester holds an umbrella like a javelin to poke fun at pro-government lawmaker Leung Che-cheung, who last week argued that umbrellas are more aggressive weapons than tear gas.

Chan plans to continue protesting and expanding the Lego scene, as long as the government refuses to meet protesters’ demands for free elections.

“I don’t have much to look forward to about the talks [between the government and the Federation of Students] tomorrow, because the government has made it clear they’re not shifting their position, so I think it’ll continue to be a stalemate.

“As long as we don’t have genuine universal suffrage and there are other people taking a stand, I’m not going to leave either,” Chan said.

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dAY2321 october, 2014

(From top left) Leaders of the Hong Kong Federation of Students Yvonne Leung, Eason Chung, Alex Chow, Lester Shum and Nathan Law. (From bottom left) Hong Kong

government representatives Edward Yau, Rimsky Yuen, Carrie Lam, Raymond Tam and Lau Kong-wah. Photos: AFP

Talks fail to bridge gap Two hours of talks tonight between Hong Kong government and student leaders protests failed to resolve any of the issues that triggered the weeks-long Occupy Central pro-democracy protests that continue to block parts of Admiralty, Causeway and Mong Kok.

The much-awaited talks – the first the government has had with any of the tens of thousands of protesters – were broadcast live throughout Hong Kong and on several international channels. Huge crowds of Hongkongers gathered in the streets to watch the discussion on giant screens.

Chief Secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor told the five leaders of the Hong Kong Federation of Students that the government will submit a report to Beijing reflecting the latest public sentiments about how the next elections should be conducted and will consider setting up a platform for dialogue on constitutional development.

However, Lam and fellow officials ruled out the possibility of reversing the National People’s Congress Standing Committee’s August decision imposing tight limits on the 2017 election, limits that will let the public choose only among nominees acceptable to Beijing. They flatly rejected the students’ demand for public nomination of chief executive candidates.

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Protesters in Admiralty watch a live broadcast of the long-awaited talks. Photo: SCMP Pictures

In response, the federation’s deputy secretary general, Lester Shum, rejected a call by Lam for protesters to end their blockades. “Have we not made enough concessions? So many young people … are even willing to be arrested and go to jail,” he said. “What do we want? The right to vote and the right to stand in elections. Now the government is only telling us to pack up and go home.”

Lam said the government respects the students’ passion in pursuing democracy, but added, “However respectful one’s ideal is, it should be achieved by reasonable and lawful means.”

Occupy co-organiser Benny Tai Yiu-ting said protesters will not be mollified by the government’s response. The new report should be submitted to the NPC Standing Committee, not the State Council, so that it could retract its August decision, he said.

Tonight’s talks were at the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine in Aberdeen, far away from any of the protest sites. Federation secretary general Alex Chow Yong-kang noted that no date was fixed for the next round of talks. He said the students would assess public response to the government’s proposals before deciding on their next step.

During the discussion Lam had told the students that Hong Kong, as a special administrative region of China, “cannot decide on its own its political development.”

dAY2321 october, 2014

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Paper umbrellas hang at the Admiralty protest site. Photo: Sam Tsang

Yet many of the pro-democracy protesters who have laid claim to major parts of Hong Kong ever since police resorted to teargas on September 28 seem quite determined to stay in the streets until Hong Kong secures more of a say over its own political future. Tonight’s talks ended nothing.

Protesters watch and react to talks being broadcast in Admiralty

Watch it noW

dAY2321 october, 2014

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An elderly man talks to pro-democracy demonstrators in Admiralty. Photo: AFP

University heads call for more talks as public opinion swings in favour of protesters The heads of Hong Kong’s biggest universities have called for further talks between student leaders and the government, as pro-democracy street protests continued for their fourth straight week.

“I think both sides have expressed their sincerity,” said Joseph Sung Jao-yiu, vice chancellor of Chinese University, of the meeting between representatives of the Hong Kong Federation of Students and the government.

“The students were very mature and well-prepared. But we won’t hope that the first dialogue can solve all the problems.”

Peter Mathieson, vice chancellor of the University of Hong Kong, said both sides had been “very well-behaved” during the talks and had put forward “very sensible arguments”.

“I’m disappointed that there hasn’t been more resolution of the situation,” said Mathieson. “But I hope, as the dialogue has already started, it would be the beginning of the progress that everyone wants to see.”

dAY2422 october, 2014

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Meanwhile, a survey by the Chinese University of Hong Kong found that public support for the Occupy movement has grown since the civil disobedience campaign kicked off.

Support for the movement was particularly significant among young people, pan-democrats and moderates. Pollsters said they believed that the police force’s controversial handling of protesters - including using tear gas and batons - was a catalyst.

Nearly 38 per cent of respondents said they supported the Occupy movement, which seeks to have chief executive candidates in 2017 run without vetting by Beijing. More than 35 per cent said they did not support the Occupy protests.

The poll, conducted between October 8 and 15, questioned 802 Hongkongers aged 15 and above by phone.

The level of support grew 6.7 percentage points from a poll a month earlier, and opposition shrank by 10.8 percentage points. The university conducted the earlier survey between September 10 and 17, just days before the class boycott started.

dAY2422 october, 2014

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dAY2523 october, 2014

Federation of Students secretary general Alex Chow Yong-kang (right) said the students had never conveyed any message to any middlemen that they would retreat if

the government was willing to submit the suggested report to Beijing. Photo: EPA

Government sources hint at tougher line on Occupy protests if deadlock persists Officials are pessimistic about the prospects for narrowing their differences with student protest leaders.

A government source said the administration had got the impression through middlemen that the pledges offered in the televised meeting with the Federation of Students would give protesters a way to retreat from the streets.

But the Federation said the offers - to submit a report to the State Council, China’s cabinet, to reflect latest public sentiment and consider setting up a platform for dialogue on constitutional development - were not enough.

“The two measures are [the best] we could offer under the political and constitutional constraints,” the source said. “We conveyed the ideas to student leaders through middlemen before the talk and got positive feedback from them.”

Government insiders said that failure to break the deadlock could lead to tougher action against protesters.

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“If the conciliatory approach doesn’t work, doves within the government would be sidelined while hawks would gain the upper hand,” one person familiar with the situation said.

“We are worried that the administration would eventually use force to disperse protesters and a certain degree of bloodshed would be unavoidable.”

Meanwhile, part of a Mong Kok street blocked by Occupy supporters was reopened to traffic yesterday after several men tore down barricades amid angry scenes.

Police reiterated their warning that Mong Kok was “on the verge of a riot” amid what they said was “escalating violence”.

The situation was calmer in Admiralty, where smooth jazz superstar Kenny G was photographed with protesters, sparking a minor scandal when he retracted his apparent support for Occupy Central after stern words from Beijing.

“I only wanted to share my wish for peace for Hong Kong and for all of China as I feel close to and care about China very much,” the musician wrote on Facebook. “Please don’t mistake my peace sign for any other sign than a sign for peace.”

dAY2524 october, 2014

Kenny G poses with protesters in Admiralty. Photo: Mark Bong

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dAY2624 october, 2014

A banner calling for universal suffrage hangs on the iconic Lion Rock. Photo: EPA

Lion Rock ‘occupation’ ends as protest organisers announce vote on movement’s future A team of firefighters and mountain rescuers have removed a huge pro-democracy banner a day after it was hung from the highest point of Kowloon’s iconic Lion Rock.

Hours after the removal yesterday, “Hong Kong Spidie”, the group that claimed responsibility for hanging the yellow banner, said Hongkongers would never give up their pursuit of true democracy.

“The government can take away our banner up on the Lion Rock, but we can hang our own banner at home, at school, or put it on T-shirts, bags or even your forehead,” the group said.

“Anywhere that we can hang up a banner of ‘We want true universal suffrage’ is our ‘Lion Rock’.”

In Admiralty, Occupy Central organisers and student leaders announced plans to poll demonstrators on the movement’s next steps.

Occupy Central co-founder Benny Tai Yiu-ting said they hoped to get a stronger endorsement from the

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dAY2624 october, 2014

Former Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa meets the media at the Office of Former Chief Executives in Central. Photo: Felix Wong

people through Sunday’s poll, which will be conducted in Admiralty from 8pm to 11pm. People will be asked whether they support the federation’s stance.

The head of the Federation of Students, Alex Chow Yong-kang, said: “The vote can quantify the people’s demand that the government give us a real response.”

Protesters said that while the vote would be a democratic exercise, it should be the government that offers a solution.

Founding chairman of the Democratic Party, Martin Lee Chu-ming Lee said: “Beijing and the Hong Kong government shut the door to dialogue with students in the past.

“Now there is a crack between the door and its frame. Why don’t we put a foot there and see what we can get?”

At a press conference in Central, former Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa added his voice to those calling for protesters to go home.

“The occupation is approaching one month and now is the time to end it,” he said. “The negative impact of Occupy will be beyond our imagination and Hongkongers will have to foot the bill eventually.”

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dAY2725 october, 2014

Police officers in Mong Kok lead away an anti-Occupy protester. Photo: EPA

Students call for territory-wide by-election after further violence in Mong Kok Chaos continued to reign in Mong Kok as a group of angry anti-Occupy Central protesters stormed a pro-democracy camp, dismantling barricades and attacking demonstrators.

Witnesses said at least 10 men - many wearing face masks to conceal their identity - forcibly removed a section of barricades on Nathan Road near Shantung Street shortly after 3pm.

At least three of the anti-Occupy group were taken away by the police, who later said six people were arrested for common assault in Mong Kok.

The trouble flared as High Court Judge Thomas Au Hing-cheung ordered that three injunction orders covering the Mong Kok and Admiralty protest zones should stay in effect over the weekend until the court decides whether to extend them next week.

Meanwhile, student leaders have proposed a way to trigger a referendum on political reform – by having pan-democrat lawmakers resign in order to prompt a by-election.

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dAY2725 october, 2014

Alex Chow Yong-kang, secretary general of the Hong Kong Federation of Students. Photo: EPA

Alex Chow Yong-kang, secretary general of the Hong Kong Federation of Students, said on Saturday that the by-election could serve as a platform for people to express their views on the constitutional reform package to be unveiled by the government for the 2016 and 2017 elections.

“This will give citizens a chance to express their stance over the constitutional reform proposal they are facing, or the [National People’s Congress Standing Committee’s] decision on August 31, or whether functional constituencies should stay or go,” Chow said in a television interview.

“These issues can all be put into the vote for interpretation,” he said.

The religious deities of Occupy Hong Kong

Watch it noW

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dAY2826 october, 2014

Occupy Central co-founder Benny Tai Yiu-ting, Federation of Students’ secretary-general Alex Chow Yong-kang, Scholarism convenor Joshua Wong Chi-fung and law-

maker Alan Leong Kah-kit announce the decision to cancel the proposed poll in Admiralty. Photo: Sam Tsang

Poll to decide the future of Occupy Central cancelled in 11th-hour U-turn Occupy Central and student leaders cancelled a proposed poll on the future of the movement hours before it was due to take place.

The decision followed complaints by protesters that the leaders had not sufficiently discussed with demonstrators the poll’s methodology or objectives.

Occupy organiser Benny Tai Yiu-ting admitted to making a mistake in trying to poll participants “in haste”.

“We have neglected the fact that a civil movement is not just about voting, but also about making decisions from bottom up. Now we are going back to this step and see if we should need another vote,” he said, adding that technical problems for online voting at the protest sites had been sorted out.

Alex Chow Yong-kang, secretary-general of the Federation of Students, also noted the poll had met with doubts from protesters.

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dAY2826 october, 2014

A man poses next to a Photoshopped picture of Chinese President Xi Jinping carrying a yellow umbrella. Photo: Dickson Lee

“Some think the wording of our motion was too mild. They felt as if we are taking a step backward, after all this time they have occupied the streets,” Chow said, referring to one of the motions that the public sentiment report submitted by the government to Beijing must “propose” the national legislature withdraws its August decision, which laid down a strict framework for the city’s chief executive election in 2017.

Chow urged the government to lay down a roadmap to achieve equal suffrage. “Some people are too sympathetic with the government and think they cannot do anything,” he said.

“But the government has thrown the proposals of setting up a platform without explaining what to do with it. They must have thought it through before making the suggestion.”

Admiralty protester Shirley Cheung, 40, agreed it was right to delay the poll.

“The government has met [Occupy] organisers,” she said. “We need to wait for the government’s reply. The organisers should spend more time talking to the protesters on what the next step should be.”

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dAY2927 october, 2014

A TVB journalist is attacked during an anti-Occupy rally. Photo: SCMP Pictures

Two arrested after attacks on journalists at anti-Occupy rally Police have arrested two people in connection with attacks on journalists during an anti-Occupy Central rally in Tsim Sha Tsui.

A 56-year-old man was picked up in Chai Wan on suspicion of assault causing actual bodily harm, criminal damage and common assault, police said.

He is the second man arrested in connection with the chaos at a “blue ribbon” pro-police rally, where four journalists from RTHK and TVB were attacked.

“An initial investigation shows the man is a ‘blue ribbon’ supporter,” a police source said. “He was also among a group of anti-Occupy protesters who tried to tear down barricades in Queensway about two weeks ago.”

A woman reporter was dragged to the ground, while a male reporter had his glasses knocked off and tie yanked. One cameraman was grabbed by the neck and another was pushed to the ground. All were

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dAY2927 october, 2014

A security guard at Citic Tower and protesters argue last week. Photo: Sam Tsang

scratched around their torsos and faces.

A police spokesman condemned the attacks on journalists. “The police will absolutely not tolerate violent events,” said Kong Man-keung, senior superintendent of the public relations branch. “We strongly condemn the violence that occurred in Tsim Sha Tsui.”

Since the Occupy sit-ins began, at least 24 journalists, including one South China Morning Post reporter, have faced attacks of different degrees, the Hong Kong Journalists Association said.

Occupy supporters may also soon face arrest if they flout injunctions ordering them to clear the streets, a government barrister told the High Court.

Barrister Jin Pao spoke to the court as it considered whether to keep in force interim orders against protesters blocking streets in Mong Kok and Admiralty, granted on October 20 to groups representing taxi drivers, minibus owners and the owner of a skyscraper.

Pao said that while “it is not the intention of the secretary for justice to enter into the arena”, police would help uphold the injunctions as directed by the court.

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dAY3028 october, 2014

Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying’s popularity sank to a record low as distrust in his government rose to an 11-month high in a poll released yesterday. Photo: Bloomberg

CY Leung’s popularity hits record low as Hong Kong ‘becomes more polarised’ The Hong Kong government awoke to a series of bad headlines, as Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying’s popularity sank to a record low and distrust in his administration rose to an 11-month high in a Chinese University poll.

43.3 per cent of respondents said they did not trust the government, the most since November last year when 43.8 per cent said they had no trust in the government. A September poll put that figure at 39.6 per cent.

For performance, Leung scored 38.6, on a scale of 0 to 100, with 50 seen as a passing grade. It was the lowest since he won the chief executive election in March 2012, when his score was 53.6. His score has fallen steadily to 41.4 last month, from 47.1 in April.

Some 804 people were interviewed for the poll. The university’s Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies tracks monthly changes in public approval of Leung and his government’s performance.

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dAY3027 october, 2014

Riot police and protesters face off in Mong Kok on October 19. Photo: AFP

Meanwhile, an attempt by security chief Lai Tung-kwok to lift the lid on the “hate and violence” of the Occupy protests with a video of clashes with police backfired after lawmakers accused him of using a meeting with the Legislative Council’s security panel as a “tool of political propaganda”.

Civic Party lawmaker Claudia Mo Man-ching asked why the video did not include the use of tear gas by police on September 28, or attacks on pro-democracy protesters by anti-Occupy gangs and suspected triad members.

“Even in your video clip, [Occupy] protesters do not carry any weapons,” Mo told Lai.

IT sector lawmaker Charles Mok asked why Lai was trying to turn the panel into a “tool of political propaganda”.

Hong Kong security chief releases video of Occupy protesters’ ‘violent behaviour’

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to be contInued

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