Dispatches from the State Ministry of Truth

[Monoriu]

I walk past the main riot camp on my way to work every day.  There are lots of posters calling for the civil service to strike, or least, work-to-rule.  I am extremely proud that the civil service and the police have remained completely loyal despite all these. 



(police oath in HK)

[Monoriu]

Brinksmanship between police and rioters in Central right now.

[CountDeMoney]

The yellow man drone deserves neither liberty nor something something."
--Benjamin Franklin

[Monoriu]

The yellow man drone deserves neither liberty nor something something."
--Benjamin Franklin

What about "don't bite the hand that feeds you"? HK's continued stability, prosperity, and liberties depend on China.  We have to stay in the good graces of the communists.  We have responsibility to make sure that we don't harbour elements that may subvert them.  They have largely upheld their end of the bargain.  We need to do our part as well.  It is too bad they think democracy in HK is a threat to them.  Live with it, guys. 

[Monoriu]

Just came back from lunch.  Chaos everywhere.  I saw that the police were clearing the barricades and tents in Queensroad with heavy equipment.  At the same time, thousands of anti-rioters approached from the other side, escorted by police.  The rioters were sandwiched in between and could only watch helplessly.  Rioters tried to tie the obstacles together with rope, but police contractors just used heavy gear to lift the entire barricade up in the air.  The main camp in Harcourt road kept asking people to defend Queensway.

This shows that the government finally has some guts.  The headlines today is actually the rioters' offer to remove the barricades in Queensway in exchange for access to what they call the "Civic square" in government HQs (actually a small parking lot with flag poles under my window).  Government's response?  Send in police to retake Queensroad, and officially denies them access to "Civic square" at the same time.  That's the biggest "fuck you" I can imagine. 

[Liep]

China organizes thugs way better than Russia, take notes Putin!

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-29592379

[Monoriu]

I was standing on one of these footbridges half an hour ago.  Lots of yelling, shouting, and I believe more than a few people were punched.



Police contractors at work in Queensway.

[Martinus]

Whether the protesters succeed or are crushed, I hope somehow Mono gets caught in the cogs of history.

[Liep]

I was standing on one of these footbridges half an hour ago.  Lots of yelling, shouting, and I believe more than a few people were punched.

So the Status Quoers of HK was standing on a footbridge looking down on "rioters" being attacked by "anti-rioters" and thinking, finally the government steps in.

I can imagine further conflict in your Great Nation.

[Monoriu]

Whether the protesters succeed or are crushed, I hope somehow Mono gets caught in the cogs of history.

Succeed?  I really don't see how they will get what they want.  Their main demands are that Beijing allow free elections in HK, and that HK's Chief Executive resign.  Beijing has said a million times that they won't move.  The communists publicly back the Chief Executive, who has said many times that he is here to stay.  The government is functioning.  The police and the civil service are loyal.  The public is split but there is growing discontent about the disruption.  More and more people are speaking out and calling for the roads to reopen.  The government has cut off all talks with the rioters and refuses to recognise them as a negotiation partner at all.  The rioter numbers have dwindled and I sometimes see only several hundred people there in the early hours (there is 24 hour news and camera coverage of the site). 

It may last for some weeks or even months, but I don't see how the rioters will succeed in getting what they want. 

[Monoriu]

So the Status Quoers of HK was standing on a footbridge looking down on "rioters" being attacked by "anti-rioters" and thinking, finally the government steps in.

That's a pretty neat description.  I like that, and yes, it was a fairly accurate one

[Monoriu]

At least 20 taxis and several heavy trucks have entered Queensway to try to help clear the barricades.  Taxi drivers have been hit hard by the loss of business due to road closures. 

[Monoriu]

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-29592379

Hong Kong protests: Scuffles break out at Admiralty camp The protest opponents pulled down barricades at the site

Scuffles have broken out in Hong Kong after opponents of the pro-democracy movement moved in on the main protest site in the financial district.

Hundreds of men, some wearing surgical masks, rushed the barricades set up by protesters in recent weeks.

Police were reportedly trying to keep the two groups apart.

Earlier on Monday police dismantled some barricades at the camp, outside government offices, in an operation to reduce traffic congestion.

The demonstrators - a mixture of student groups and the Occupy Central pro-democracy movement - are demanding that the people of Hong Kong be given full voting rights in the next leadership election in 2017.

China says that under Hong Kong law it is allowed to vet the list of candidates who can stand.

Some of the crowd were seen dragging away tents belonging to the protesters
The police operation earlier on Monday went ahead largely peacefully
The protesters have occupied key areas, including in Central and Mong Kok across the harbour, for more than two weeks.

At the start of the movement the rallies drew tens of thousands of people, and hundreds were sleeping on the streets overnight. However, numbers have reduced in recent days to just a few hundred, mostly students.

On Monday, police moved in to remove some barricades to reduce traffic, but said they did not plan to clear the camp entirely.

But hours later, several groups of people opposed to the protests converged on the demonstrators.

Among them were taxi drivers, many of them angry about more than two weeks of disruption. They arrived at the Admiralty protest site in their cars shouting and beeping horns.

A few had signs on the front of their cars saying: "We can't take it any more."

A crane was seen removing some of the barricades at Admiralty
Other groups opposed to the demonstrators joined in shouting "Occupy is illegal" and demanding that roads be opened. Some people started dismantling the tents put up by protestors.

At least one lorry with a crane was seen removing barricades and television footage appeared to show a masked man being forced to drop a small knife.

Earlier this month, peaceful demonstrators at the Mong Kok rally site were attacked by residents. Police have said they believe some of the attackers were members of the Triad criminal gang.

I think this is important in several ways.  This is the first time anti-rioters have taken action against the main rioter camp in Admiralty.  Previously, they tried to rush the camps in Mongkok and the small one in Causeway Bay.  So the prevailing opinion is that the camps in Mongkok and Causeway Bay are more dangerous, but the main one in Admiralty is safe.  This latest clash destroyed the illusion of the Admiralty camp as being peaceful.  A lot of rioters want to occupy roads but are fearful of Mongkok-style clashes have chosen to stay in Admiralty.  This will hopefully convince some to stay home.

Today also marked the first time since late September that police have taken direct action against the rioters.  The developments in the first 10 days or so in October focused on the talks between the rioters and government.  Now that the government has made it clear that the time for talks is over, the focus is now on police action.  I think this is a good sign that police are testing waters, probing rioter reaction and level of support, and removing some of the peripheral barricades, hopefully all to prepare for the final showdown.  There also seems good rapport and cooperation between police and anti-rioter groups all day. 

Another very important sign is the stance of the by-standers.  There were tons of people at the scenes, but the majority stayed on the air-conditioned footbridges that overlooked the clashes, content with taking pictures (me included).  The police dared to take action against the barricades during busy lunch hour, and the level of by-stander support for the rioters is non-existant.  28 September largely failed because too many people went to the streets to support the riots when tear gas was fired.  I think the status quoers now outnumber the rioters by a large margin. 

[jimmy olsen]

It isn't just about taking back our roads. It is about demonstrating how morally corrupt civil disobedience is, and how it will achieve nothing in the future.

You realize you sound like a fascist lunatic when you say things like this?

[Crazy_Ivan80]

It isn't just about taking back our roads. It is about demonstrating how morally corrupt civil disobedience is, and how it will achieve nothing in the future.

You realize you sound like a fascist lunatic when you say things like this?

with an attitude like his you can enact Cultural Revolutions and kill millions, unopposed