Dispatches from the State Ministry of Truth

[grumbler]

The mobilization of the HK mob in support of the government reminds me of the mobilization of the mob in various Chinese cities after the bombing of the Belgrade Embassy.  It seems that "one system" may already be the case in HK.

[Monoriu]

'Angry' anti-Occupy crowds confront Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters
 

By Ivan Watson, Tim Hume, Rebecca Wright and Wilfred Chan, CNN

October 3, 2014 -- Updated 1124 GMT (1924 HKT)
   

Hong Kong protesters block ambulance

STORY HIGHLIGHTS
NEW: Anti-Occupy crowds confront pro-democracy protesters in Mong Kok
NEW: Pro-democracy protesters outnumbered, protected by police
The chief executive's second in command will meet with student protest leaders
A student group welcomes the talks, but says protesters won't leave the streets


Hong Kong (CNN) -- A key site held by Hong Kong pro-democracy demonstrators descended into scenes of chaos Friday as large crowds opposed to the movement gathered to clear the area, potentially jeopardizing talks to break the political standoff.

The confrontation unfolded Friday afternoon and evening in the densely-populated district of Mong Kok, Kowloon -- on the opposite side of Victoria Harbor to the main "Occupy" protest site surrounding government offices in Admiralty, Hong Kong Island.

According to CNN staff on the ground, scuffles ensued as crowds of people opposed to the protest -- numbering in their thousands, and mostly male and middle-aged -- confronted the camp of hundreds of demonstrators, many of whom are students.

Police formed a human chain around the protest site to try to prevent incursions from the anti-Occupy crowds, who were shoving and jostling the protesters, yelling "Clear the field!"

Whenever one of them broke through the line, they were led away by police or Occupy protesters.

The three main groups coordinating the pro-democracy protests responded to the unrest with an ultimatum to authorities.

"If the government does not immediately prevent the organized attacks on supporters of the Occupy movement, the students will call off dialogue on political reform with the government," it read.

The Hong Kong government's second in command, Chief Secretary Carrie Lam, had previously agreed to meet representatives of the Hong Kong Federation of Students to talk "constitutional development matters," in what many hoped could bring about an end to the political standoff.

Students protesters call on chief exec to go

Occupy Central, one of the main groups behind the protests, tweeted for supporters in Mong Kok to abandon the site and regroup at the main protest site in Admiralty.

"Must ensure safety is priority in the face of violent attacks," read the tweet.

'Very angry, noisy'

At the scene of the Mong Kok unrest, Joe Lee, a 58-year-old maintenance supervisor, said he was upset about the pro-democracy protesters' presence.

"They've been here for nearly a week. They need to clear out," he said. "It's ruining our economy, they just need to leave."

A middle-aged woman, who did not want to give her name, said she had come out to join the anti-Occupy crowds when she saw footage of protesters' tents being torn down on TV. She said she was furious at "what a mess Hong Kong has become."

Among the pro-democracy protesters, some of whom were crying, 24-year-old Wilson Wong said the crowds were intimidating.

"We just want a peaceful dialogue but we're scared because they're using violence," he said. "We're very nervous and our hands are shaking even as we hold on to each other."

Siu Hay, a 33-year-old musician, said the anti-Occupy crowds were "very angry and very noisy." "They (the Occupy Central protesters) just want peace and democracy."

Responding to the violence, Alex Chow, Secretary General of the Hong Kong Federation of Students, said the unrest was driven by people "with the intention to cause chaos to allow police to clear activists there."

"All supporters of Occupy will abide by the principles of nonviolence," he said. "The chaos is not caused by advocates of Occupy, but by the opposing groups."

The occupation was momentarily cleared enough for police to allow for buses to pass through, to cheers from the crowd.

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/10/03/world/asia/china-hong-kong-protests/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

[Tamas]

The mobilization of the HK mob in support of the government reminds me of the mobilization of the mob in various Chinese cities after the bombing of the Belgrade Embassy.  It seems that "one system" may already be the case in HK.

Standard way of operations, it must be.

The current Hungarian regime was the weakest around the start of 2012 IIRC. Their crooked mafia nature already obvious, opposition people really started to gather momentum. When they officially enacted the new constitution they farced together (start of 2012 IIRC) there was a demonstration in front of the place they celebrated, and what the government intended to be the glorious pompous celebration of their new future was an embarrassment: they had to literally sneak in and out of the building.

Their answer was mobilising their core supporter group (which is pretty sizable, lets not kid ourselves) for a massive "Peace March". With putting state resources behind it, they could transport around 100k people to the capital and made a massive march dwarfing the previous opposition demonstrations.

Worked well in demoralising the opposition.

[Monoriu]

Tsim Sha Tsui liberated.  Only Causeway Bay and the main camp outside government HQs in Admiralty are left.  2 done.  2 to go. 

[CountDeMoney]

I just want the status quo.

I just want the chance to see us nuke your useless yellow ass in my lifetime.

[garbon]

I love it how Mono assigns the label "rioters" to the peaceful protesters, and "angry residents" to the violent rioters attacking the protesters... and I don't think he is trying to be amusing.

Next, he'll be telling us that we have always been at war with Eastasia.

Yeah.

[Monoriu]

Causeway Bay rioters have been asked to return to Admiralty. 

[Savonarola]

With the recent turn of events in Hong Kong I was reminded of this quote from My Dinner with Andre:

New York, it's a very interesting place... do you know a lot of New Yorkers who keep talking about wanting to leave but never do?' and I said 'Yes', and he said 'Why do you think they don't leave?' I gave him a few banal theories, and he said 'I don't think it's that way at all... I think  that New York is a new model for the new concentration camp, where the camp has been built by the inmates themselves, and the inmates ARE the guards, and they have this pride in this thing they built, they built their own internal prison, so they exist in a state of internal schizophrenia where they are the both guards and prisoners, and as a result they no longer have, having been lobotomized, the capacity to leave the prison they made or to even see it as a prison.'

Andre's friend was right, he just had the wrong city. 

[crazy canuck]

What revolution? By the sounds of it, the pro-government rioters are stronger than the anti-government rioters, even without getting the Chinese army involved. He'll get the "One Country, One System" plan he's been waiting for.

I just want the status quo.

I wonder if BB is rethinking his love of conservatism?

[PJL]

I wonder how many of the anti Occupy protestors are Russian mainland Chinese special agents.

[The Minsky Moment]

I kinda think that idea is kind of obsolete at this point. 

It's not and won't/can't be until the mainland goes to full convertibility.

Loss of the special status wont affect finance.  Plenty of places do finance just fine without freedom,

Singaporeis the only one I can think of but ut is still way ahead of mainland China.

[The Minsky Moment]

Now the students are saying that if the government doesn't stop the mob, they'll refuse to meet. 

Why should the police help sustain an illegal activity?

Why should the police stop vigilantes?  Is that a serious question?

[Monoriu]

Now the students are saying that if the government doesn't stop the mob, they'll refuse to meet. 

Why should the police help sustain an illegal activity?

Why should the police stop vigilantes?  Is that a serious question?

You don't find anything odd with criminals on the run expecting police protection?

[The Minsky Moment]

So if a hit and run driver hits a jaywalker, they let him go in HK?

[garbon]

Now the students are saying that if the government doesn't stop the mob, they'll refuse to meet. 

Why should the police help sustain an illegal activity?

Why should the police stop vigilantes?  Is that a serious question?

You don't find anything odd with criminals on the run expecting police protection?

So are you ignoring his question then?