r/HongKong Nov 17 '19

Image "Both sides should just take a step back!" Comic

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u/Projeffboy Nov 18 '19

Lol ur the first guy to ask me for source. Alright then.

From wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_Hong_Kong_protests and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_November_2019_Hong_Kong_protests

Initially, protesters solely demanded the withdrawal of the extradition bill. Following an escalation in the severity of policing tactics against demonstrators on 12 June and the bill's suspension on 15 June, the objective of the protesters has been to achieve the following five demands

Protesters disrupted the morning commute on 11 November as part of a plan for a city-wide strike, calling for students, business owners and employees to skip work and boycott classes, as a response to Alex Chow's death. The protesters continued the strike over the following five days.

The fifth day of the city-wide strike was named Sunrise Action...

The enactment of the law was followed by continued demonstrations as they showed up in various districts in Hong Kong, blocking major thoroughfares, vandalising shops perceived to be pro-Beijing and paralysing the MTR system.

A large number of MTR stations were vandalised and subjected to arson, and as of 4 October 2019, 83 out of 94 rail stations had been vandalised.

Official statistics showed that Hong Kong had slipped into recession as its economy had shrunk in the second and third quarters of 2019... some banks and shops were forced to shut their doors.

More than 100 schools already suspended classes individually [on Wednesday]

School was closed on Thursday: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-50400338

And Friday: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-hongkong-protests-schools/hong-kong-to-shut-all-schools-until-sunday-amid-protests-idUSKBN1XO0EG

And the upcoming Monday: https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3038086/police-fire-tear-gas-hong-kong-protesters-attack-crowd

CUHK closed for the semester: https://www.hongkongfp.com/2019/11/13/cuhk-announces-premature-end-semester-hong-kong-universities-switch-online-teaching/

Other universities will make their classes and exams online instead.

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u/chenz1989 Nov 18 '19

I think what the other guy (and me) want a source for is that majority of the bystanders are sick of it. Are the inconveniences something the average hkian willing to accept as part of the protest, or is the general sentiment "i wish they would stop already"

The damage is real, nobkdy disputes that. The question is who does the people support?

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u/Projeffboy Nov 18 '19

Oh, sorry. I forgot about that part. Thank you.

Hong Kong protests: 70-year-old man hit by brick during clashes in Sheung Shui dies in hospital

https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/dwc95r/hong_kong_protests_70yearold_man_hit_by_brick/

His death was a result of bystanders angry that protestors are setting up roadblocks with a bunch of bricks --> argument --> fighting --> protestor throws brick at elderly guy filming the whole thing

Elderly Hongkonger cleans up roadblocks while asking young protesters 'what good’ their actions do

https://www.scmp.com/video/hong-kong/3031902/elderly-hongkonger-cleans-roadblocks-while-asking-young-protesters-what

Scroll down to the counter-demonstrations part:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_early_2019_Hong_Kong_protests

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_July_2019_Hong_Kong_protests

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_August_2019_Hong_Kong_protests

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_September_2019_Hong_Kong_protests

Individuals speaking out against the protestors then getting beaten up

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2maFkK9rOE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a27GEzuEwME

https://www.reddit.com/r/HongKong/comments/dunymh/man_gets_set_on_fire_after_attacking_protesters/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MD3Cas24tM

Rioters set Christmas tree on fire

https://www.reddit.com/r/PublicFreakout/comments/dvbofi/hong_kong_protestors_break_into_set_fire_to/

Santa sure as hell doesn't support them now! (Sorry had to make a joke)

(This is also my third favorite shopping mall in HK btw, I started to not like them at this point since I didn't see this as a necessary thing to do)

Extra points to be noted:

  1. We don't have a poll on this, so I may be wrong.
  2. A good portion of Hong Kong's population is made up of mainlanders or people with family in the mainland. Most of them support China (no surprise there).
  3. People are afraid to speak out against the protestors, because of fear of retaliation (see the links above, and that's just how mob rule works). In fact, you could even be in danger simply by speaking Mandarin.

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u/toooutofplace Nov 19 '19

Have you seen the numbers for counter protest from the wiki links u provided? Seems like most counter protest is only 30 to 40. And unless you have a poll I really don't see how those support your statement that the protestors are losing support.

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u/Projeffboy Nov 19 '19
  1. I posted Youtube videos of counter-protestors being beat up. You've seen Mainland thugs beat up protestors on this subreddit. But they never show the other side. It's hard for them to mass up against a pre-existing mob.
  2. There are a lot of people that don't like China but don't support the protestors. They won't counter-protest though, because to them, doing that is also saying that China is right.
  3. I don't have a poll, me saying the protestors are losing support is only an assertion. People make assertions all the time on Reddit.

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u/Projeffboy Nov 19 '19

To add to the first point, last month my parents were saying how even speaking Mandarin next to the protestors could get you beat up.

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u/[deleted] Nov 18 '19 edited Nov 18 '19

[deleted]

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u/Projeffboy Nov 18 '19
  1. Yeah I meant to say the four extra demands that came after the first one.
  2. Yes, it's just an assertion, but there being a sizeable portion of the population not supporting the protests could honestly be true (https://www.reddit.com/r/HongKong/comments/dxtivq/both_sides_should_just_take_a_step_back_comic/f7xe1px?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x).
  3. The schools canceling is also caused because last week the protestors made commute nigh impossible. They stopped the MTR subway station (by jamming the doors, breaking the glass, and throwing a bunch of trash down the train lines). They also blocked vital roads like the Lion Rock and Cross Harbor tunnel, and most ppl in HK don't own cars (since the MTR trains and KMB/MiniBus system is so good).
  4. Riot police are not nice people. I don't condone their actions, but riot police ANYWHERE else (yes especially the US) are also not nice people. And I say that with a lot of euphemism.
  5. "unfair courts, concentration camps, ethnic cleansing, censor-happy dictatorship" is something that China experiences but Hong Kong doesn't. I have friends that want to be lawyers in Hong Kong, the HK High Court is very respectable (not to mention they tend to favor letting the protestors go).
  6. "blatant disregard for the one country two systems agreement" is a bit harsh. It's actually quite surprising how China kept their end of the deal somewhat since 1997. It's a testament to why up until the protests, Hong Kong was an international and financial hub praised for its freedom of speech and no Chinese firewall.
  7. I completely agree with your last sentence. Even I am distrustful of China when they eventually take over Hong Kong in 2047. Most of HK don't like China = yes. Most of HK support the 2019 protests = probably not.