Page 1 of 6 123 ... LastLast
Results 1 to 15 of 81

Thread: Hong Kong protests

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Posts
    1,406

    Hong Kong protests

    protesting new law

    Hong Kong Gripped by Massive Anti-Govt. Street Protest
    Tue Jul 1,11:01 AM ET Add World - Reuters to My Yahoo!


    By Carrie Lee and Rico Ngai

    HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hundreds of thousands of protesters took to Hong Kong's streets on Tuesday to denounce the government and its planned anti-subversion law in the city's biggest demonstration since the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.







    "Return rule to the people," they chanted as the rally began to denounce the bill which critics say will impose Beijing-style control over free speech and the media.


    Brandishing banners, umbrellas and fans, many wore black on a sweltering day to mourn what they said was the demise of rights and freedoms in one of the world's key financial centers.


    Critics say the law, which Beijing has been pressing Hong Kong to enact, poses the biggest threat to basic rights in the former British colony since it reverted to Chinese rule in 1997.


    Earlier, a group of protesters burned the Communist Party flag as Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao tried to reassure the territory that its freedoms would be protected. But the afternoon march was peaceful.


    By nightfall, organizers said around 500,000 people had turned out, while police said they counted at least 350,000 people as of 6 p.m. (1000 GMT). It was the largest protest in Hong Kong since 1989, when a million turned out after troops killed hundreds of pro-democracy demonstrators in the Chinese capital.


    The government has said it would not back down on the national security legislation regardless of Tuesday's turnout. Despite renewed criticism from the United States and Britain, the bill is bound to be passed by the territory's legislature, which is packed with pro-Beijing and pro-government supporters.


    Hong Kong Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa, who was mocked on many of the placards, issued a statement saying it was the government's responsibility to pass the security law as required by the Basic Law, its mini-constitution.


    "The government has promised the rights and freedom enjoyed in Hong Kong now won't be affected by the legislation," he said.


    The anti-subversion measures, to be enshrined as Article 23 of the Basic Law, were the prime target of many of the protesters. But others said they were frustrated by the government's handling of the ailing economy and the SARS (news - web sites) epidemic, which killed some 300 people in the territory.


    Marchers came from all walks of life with retirees and young couples pushing baby strollers walking alongside veteran democracy supporters, highlighting the depth of dissatisfaction with the government. Many were demonstrating for the first time.


    PUBLIC ANGER


    Political commentator Andy Ho said he was not surprised by the extent of public anger.


    "Those who have come out are from all walks of life, and are not only opposed to Article 23 but a host of government policies," Ho told Reuters.


    "This should serve as a wake-up call for the government. If it does not heed people's views, grievances will deepen and it will make it more difficult for it to rule Hong Kong."


    The flag-burning took place a few hundred meters (yards) from the convention center where Wen and local leaders were celebrating the sixth anniversary of Hong Kong's return to China.


    In what are believed to be the first public comments by a senior Chinese leader on the controversial issue, Wen repeatedly assured Hong Kong that its special status would be protected.





    "The legislation according to Article 23 will not affect the different rights and freedoms enjoyed by Hong Kong people, including journalists, under the law," Wen told reporters.

    He did not refer to Tuesday's marchers directly, but said stability was the key to the territory's long-term prosperity.

    Though Hong Kong was promised a high degree of autonomy after the handover, critics say there has been a subtle roll-back of freedoms, especially as it grows more economically dependent on the mainland.

    The government's push to pass the law this month has stoked concerns that any dissent may soon be treated the same way it is in China. Beijing fears that without the law, Hong Kong will be used as a base for subversive activities against it.

    The Falun Gong (news - web sites) spiritual group for instance practices freely in Hong Kong but has been banned in China as an "evil cult."

    Under the legislation, people can be jailed for life if convicted of subversion, treason or secession from China. It also allows gives police sweeping search powers without court orders.

    But the government's much-criticized handling of the bill and many other issues may have set the stage for a bigger battle.

    Its refusal to allow more consultation and widespread anger at Tung have spurred calls for more democracy and may have galvanized generations into becoming more politically active.
    I do not ever see Sifu do anything that could be construed as a hula dancer- hasayfu

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,907

    I Am Jackie Chan

    What's Jackie to do? I'm sure his album promo tour has been in the works for months. He couldn't account for the protests.

    Nevertheless, I want to hear I Am Jackie Chan.

    In Taiwan to promote a new album, Jackie Chan pleads ignorance on mass protests in Hong Kong
    "I only found out yesterday there was a big march in Hong Kong. I don't know anything about it."
    by Alex Linder June 13, 2019 in News



    Jackie Chan has evidently been so busy promoting his new album that he hasn’t had any time to notice the mass protests rocking his home city.

    On Wednesday, the movie star was in Taipei at a media event hyping up his latest album “I Am Jackie Chan,” his first album in 16 years. The event happened to coincide with tens of thousands of protesters surrounding the Legislative Council building in Hong Kong, angry over a controversial bill that would allow criminal suspects to be taken to mainland China for trial.

    When asked to give his thoughts on the situation, Chan pleaded ignorance. “I only found out yesterday there was a big march in Hong Kong. I don’t know anything about it,” he said.

    Chan has long been criticized in Hong Kong for his pro-Beijing views. The actor has never been shy to sing out China’s praises, literally doing so at two straight CCTV Spring Festival Galas. Last month, he was one of 200 of the city’s elite who joined in to sing the Chinese national anthem in a “flash mob” propaganda video.



    Back in 2014, Chan did offer his opinions on the Umbrella Movement, worrying that the protests were hurting Hong Kong’s economic future, writing on Weibo that:

    “I found out through the news that Hong Kong’s economic losses reached HK$350 billion [$51.9 billion] and I’m really worried . . . I believe every Hong Kong resident loves Hong Kong and wishes it well! Hong Kong’s bright tomorrow requires everyone’s support and hard work . . . In the song ‘Country,’ one line goes: ‘There is no prosperous home without a strong country.’ I am willing to work hard with everyone and return to rationality, to face the future, love our country, love our Hong Kong.”


    THREADS
    Hong kong protests
    Jackie Chan's new music
    Jackie Chan scandals
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,907

    Troubled times for HK

    I'm trying to imagine having to apologize to my fan base for having dinner with Jackie Chan.

    I'm also trying to imagine having a fan base.

    X Japan’s Yoshiki apologizes for having dinner with Jackie Chan
    Master Blaster
    yesterday

    For a drummer, he really doesn’t have the best timing in the world.

    Although the visual kei style of Japanese rock group X Japan is often dark and violent, fans know all too well how sweet and endearing its members really are. From the occasionally befuddled charm of drummer Yoshiki to the Christmas pancakes of singer Toshi, these guys don’t seem to have a bad bone in their body.

    And on 12 June, Yoshiki’s social media accounts revealed what he thought would be an exciting image for his fans depicting a private dinner between himself and legendary martial arts actor Jackie Chan.


    View image on Twitter

    Yoshiki

    @YoshikiOfficial
    Wonderful dinner with #JackieChan .#ジャッキーチェン @EyeOfJackieChanhttps://www.instagram.com/p/BynBkdCA8l8/

    10.5K
    5:41 AM - Jun 12, 2019
    3,047 people are talking about this
    Twitter Ads info and privacy
    Considering your perspective on current events, you could interpret this photo two ways. On the one hand, it’s two giants of their respective arts having a chat over a nice dinner. On the other hand, it’s Yoshiki smiling and laughing with a prominent and outspoken supporter of the Communist Party of China, especially regarding issues with Taiwan and Hong Kong.

    And considering the bitter and violent protests currently taking place in Hong Kong over a controversial law that would allow the mainland to extradite people from the territory, it’s understandably not the best time to be yucking it up with Jackie Chan. So, Yoshiki did take a little heat from his photo in the replies on his Instagram and Twitter accounts: (replies presented as originally posted, with minor changes)

    “Shame….”
    “Jackie Chan is a supporter of dictatorship, you rather have dinner with him and ignored the president of the first democratic republic country in Asia?”
    “We hate jackie! just a running dog of communist china!”
    “We are X, and f*ck Jackie chan”
    “Why you can dinner with a sh*t?”
    “I live in Hong Kong I like [Chan], he is no saint but he has his merit.”
    “I am sorry, X and you is very important to me and i love you very much. but your photo with this guy made me cry and tear.”

    For the most part it was Chan who took most of the verbal abuse with Yoshiki only receiving the occasional “shame on you” and questions of “why?” Still, being the sensitive guy he is, Yoshiki couldn’t sit quiet after causing fans even mild discomfort.

    Yoshiki

    @YoshikiOfficial
    My dear fans,
    If any of my posts made you feel like... I'm not considering any situation,
    I deeply apologize.
    I really care about all of my fans and friends.
    Love you,

    YOSHIKI

    10.1K
    6:28 AM - Jun 14, 2019
    Twitter Ads info and privacy
    3,466 people are talking about this
    And of course, being the sensitive bunch they are, X Japan fans were quick to support him.

    “I don’t know what kind of tweets you’ve got or seen, but we’ll always love you and you don’t have to worry about that.”
    “[Yoshiki] doesn’t do business with JC, neither he is involved with politics. It’s just a personal meeting for dinner, nothing more.”
    “Please don’t apologize for us. We know exactly how you feel. Thank you for your concern about us.”
    “What happened?”
    “I like Jacky chen and Yoshiki!!”
    “I think it’s his freedom to eat with any one. You should not argue about our own political issues with him.”
    “You guys should keep your politics and personal hatred out of Yoshiki sama’s page. Have some respect.”
    “It’s definitely bad timing, but no big deal really.”

    All’s well that ends well for the rock star who is by all accounts just a swell guy. Jackie Chan, however, seems to be hemorrhaging goodwill left and right these days. We can only hope that this isn’t hurting our good friend Jackie Chen‘s impersonation business too badly.

    THREADS
    Hong kong protests
    Jackie Chan scandals
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,907

    If Jackie needs a dinner date, I'm free.



    Jackie Chan dined with two stars. Hong Kong is not amused
    Photo: EPA/Dan Himbrechts
    by Stephanie Ma

    Taiwanese megastar Jay Chou and X Japan leader Yoshiki are facing a backlash for hanging out with Jackie Chan.

    Chou and Yoshiki were panned on social media by their fans after they shared pictures of themselves having dinner with Chan on Wednesday.

    While the Hong Kong-born actor is widely adored globally for his kung-fu movies, Chan is spurned by many at home in Hong Kong for being pro-Beijing and dismissive toward the city’s aspiration for democracy.

    jaychou
    Verified


    353,881 likes
    jaychou's profile picture
    jaychou
    Verified
    祝大哥新專輯大賣🎊🎊 @jackiechan
    6d
    The musicians’ association with Chan didn’t sit well with their fans as Hong Kong was wrapping up a series of massive demonstrations against a controversial law allowing extraditions from the semi-autonomous city to mainland China.

    When asked his opinion about the protests while promoting his new album last Tuesday in Taipei, Chan said he was unaware of the rally.

    “I only just found out yesterday that there was a big parade in Hong Kong. I don't know anything about it,” he said.


    Jackie Chan attends the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference in Beijing in March 2018. Photo: AFP/Wang Zhao

    Two days before he spoke, Hong Kong saw one of the largest marches in its history, as opposition to the extradition bill made international headlines.

    Chan is also remembered in Hong Kong and Taiwan for openly dissing the two places at an international forum in 2009.

    “I’m not sure if it’s good to have freedom or not. I’m really confused now. If you’re too free, you’re like the way Hong Kong is now. It’s very chaotic. Taiwan is also very chaotic,” he said.

    Chou was criticized for being ignorant of Hong Kong’s political situation after he posted Wednesday on Instagram a picture with Chan, captioned: “Wishing Big Brother big sales for his new album.”


    View image on Twitter

    Yoshiki

    @YoshikiOfficial
    Wonderful dinner with #JackieChan .#ジャッキーチェン @EyeOfJackieChanhttps://www.instagram.com/p/BynBkdCA8l8/

    10.5K
    5:41 AM - Jun 12, 2019
    3,047 people are talking about this
    Twitter Ads info and privacy
    Yoshiki, drummer and leader of Japanese rock band X Japan, even issued an apology after sharing a picture on the same day of himself having a “wonderful dinner” with Chan.

    "My dear fans, if any of my posts made you feel like... I'm not considering any situation, I deeply apologize. I really care about all my fans and friends," he tweeted on Friday.

    STEPHANIE MA
    Stephanie Ma is an intern reporter at Inkstone.

    THREADS
    Hong kong protests
    Jackie Chan scandals
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,907

    Protest for your porn

    Does Pornhub do stuff like this? Asking for a friend...

    By Gavin Butler
    |
    17 June 2019, 6:45pm
    Hong Kong Porn Sites Shut Down to Encourage More People to Join the Protests
    One site urged users to attend the “life or death” protests instead of “jerking off at home”.

    [IMG]https://video-images.vice.com/articles/5d083b0a519a23000863e8ed/lede/1560821304177-2019-06-17T112114Z_897959158_RC1229372D70_RTRMADP_3_HONGKO NG-EXTRADITION.jpeg?crop=1xw%3A0.8427xh%3B0xw%2C0.019 5xh&resize=2000%3A*[/IMG]
    Image via Reuters

    Things are heating up in Hong Kong. Over the past two weeks, a swelling tide of protesters has flooded the streets to demand that a contentious extradition bill—one which would allow China to extradite people from Hong Kong to the mainland—be retracted. In the past week alone, as many as two million people are thought to have gotten behind the movement. And an initiative taken by a handful of porn sites might have played at least some small part in bolstering the numbers.

    Adult sites AV01 and ThisAV shut down temporarily last week in a bid to encourage users to get out and join the uprising, Quartz reports. Both sites stopped offering videos and published expletive-laden messages aimed at fuelling the fire and getting more people onside—with ThisAV urging users to attend the “life or death” protests instead of “jerking off at home”.

    “Do you want to live the rest of your life looking over your shoulder?” read the message on AV01’s landing page. “There will be no more safe place or security. The government has failed you, the system has failed you, the society has failed you, do you want to fail yourself?”

    In the time since the porn sites went down, the number of people protesting in the streets has grown to what may well be the largest demonstration in Hong Kong's history—though that's not to say that there's any direct correlation between the two. More than 100 local business have also shut up shop and encouraged their employees to take part.

    The mounting pressure of the mass protests reached such an intensity that Chief Executive Carrie Lam issued a public apology over the weekend for her handling of the extradition bill, suspending it indefinitely. Protesters are now seeking to oust Lam from office.

    As VICE News reported last night: “the size and scale of the protests are a reminder to Chinese President Xi Jinping that his authoritarian control on power does not yet extend to Hong Kong, which has repeatedly shown its willingness to stand up to Beijing’s efforts to erode the territory’s independence.”
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,907

    Bruce v Jackie

    Hong Kong protests embrace Bruce Lee but reject Jackie Chan in tale of two martial arts heroes

    Bruce Lee becomes a symbol for young demonstrators and their ‘formless’ guerilla tactics in defiance of China’s unpopular extradition law

    But Jackie Chan, already vilified for his pro-Beijing stance, feigns ignorance of historic marches in his home city

    Nicolas Atkin
    Published: 1:00pm, 29 Jun, 2019


    Protesters march in Hong Kong against an extradition bill. A number have been channelling the spirit of Bruce Lee, whose statue is seen in Tsim Sha Tsui. Photos: AFP/Sam Tsang

    Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan may be Hong Kong’s two most famous martial arts sons, but the kung fu superstars are like chalk and cheese to the protesters taking part in historic marches against the city’s extradition bill.
    Enter The Dragon star Lee’s famous “Be water, my friend” saying has become a clarion call among the young protesters demanding Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor withdraw the unpopular legislation which would have allowed for the transfer of fugitive suspects to mainland China and other jurisdictions with which Hong Kong has no extradition deal.
    Lee’s words have also inspired a new form of guerilla tactics that has outfoxed the police and given the government headaches, with protesters moving in unexpected waves, rolling from one spot to another.
    Spontaneous road blockades and the circling of buildings have replaced the prolonged mass sit-ins of the 2014 Occupy movement, creating a “formless” protest.

    View image on Twitter

    Mary Hui
    @maryhui
    One Hong Kong protester channeling Bruce Lee philosophy.

    90
    8:07 PM - Jun 25, 2019
    29 people are talking about this
    Twitter Ads info and privacy
    “We are formless, we are shapeless, we can flow, we can crash, we are like water, we are Hongkongers!” read one protester’s sign channelling Lee’s philosophy.
    Protesters are also wearing T-shirts and clothing bearing Lee’s words and likeness, with the martial arts icon becoming a symbol of the movement.
    Drunken Master star Chan, on the other hand, feigned ignorance of the protests when asked during a trip to Taiwan to promote his new album, I Am Jackie Chan.
    The visit coincided with police firing tear gas in clashes with demonstrators as tens of thousands surrounded the Legislative Council building in Hong Kong.
    “I only found out yesterday there was a big march in Hong Kong. I don’t know anything about it,” Chan said, despite images of two million marchers being widely disseminated around the world.


    Hong Kong actor and singer Jackie Chan at an event announcing his new album in Taipei. Photo: AP

    It was a less controversial take than his 2014 comments, when he weighed in on Beijing’s side and said he was “worried” about damage to Hong Kong’s financial markets during the occupation of key commercial districts, and called for a “return to rationality”.
    “I am willing to work hard with everyone … to face the future, love our country, love our Hong Kong,” he added.
    Well, Chan may love Hong Kong, but does Hong Kong love him any more?



    jaychou
    Verified




    358,035 likes
    jaychou
    Verified
    祝大哥新專輯大賣🎊🎊 @jackiechan
    2w
    Hong Kong was not amused when Chan dined with two music stars earlier this month. Taiwanese megastar Jay Chou and X Japan leader Yoshiki faced an online backlash after sharing pictures on social media of themselves hanging out with the 65-year-old, who is a member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. The legislative advisory body in Beijing is largely made up of members of the Chinese Communist Party.
    The Hong Kong-born actor is adored around the world for his famous kung fu films like the Rush Hour series, but his pro-Beijing views and dismissals of the democracy movement are unlikely to endear him to protesters, two million of whom marched on June 16.
    “I’m not sure if it’s good to have freedom or not,” he said in 2009. “I’m really confused now. If you’re too free, you’re like the way Hong Kong is now. It’s very chaotic. Taiwan is also very chaotic.”
    But while Chan is opposed to chaos, Lee embraced it in his teachings.
    “In the middle of chaos lies opportunity,” was one of his famous idioms. “Out of chaos, find simplicity. From discord, find harmony,” was another.
    Hong Kong’s protesters believe they are taking their opportunity amid the chaos to have their voices heard by the world. They say they are trying to bring the city together as one in harmony against China’s increasing curbs on their freedoms.


    Demonstrators protest outside police headquarters, demanding Hong Kong’s leaders step down and withdraw the extradition bill. Photo: Reuters/Tyrone Siu

    If Lee was alive today, who knows whether he would weigh in on the side of the protesters? Stardom and success often comes with a price to pay for Chinese actors and celebrities.
    Hong Kong film stars Andy Lau, Leon Lai, Donnie Yen, John Woo, Sun Xing and Tony Leung Ka-fai all starred with Chan in the 2009 Chinese propaganda blockbuster Founding of a Republic. The epic was made by the state-owned China Film Group, and marked the 60th anniversary of the Communist revolution and featured a cast made up of almost 200 of China’s best-known stars.
    Perhaps Lee would go the way of China’s other martial arts megastar Jet Li, who has naturalised himself in Singapore away from all the controversy – though Li also starred in Founding of a Republic.


    Protesters make an appeal to consulates for the G20 Summit. Photo: Felix Wong

    There is of course no way to tell. But Lee’s legend is being immortalised by a new generation of Hongkongers who have made him a symbol for their cause. The legend of Bruce Lee is only being enhanced (as if it needed to be any more).
    Chan, meanwhile, continues to turn a blind eye to what is going on in his home city. Maybe his PR people have told him it’s not a good look to make a big fuss again, something he probably doesn’t need telling.
    But with the eyes of the world on Hong Kong, Chan will not be able to escape the questions forever. Sooner or later he will have to answer, and his reputation could suffer, depending on what he says.

    This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Lee closer to their hearts than Chan
    THREADS
    Hong kong protests
    Jackie Chan scandals
    Bruce Lee Memorials
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,907

    Kurt W. Tong neutered

    The U.S. Should Defend Hong Kong
    America’s recently departed envoy warns that Beijing poses a dire threat to the city’s cherished freedoms.
    By Kurt W. Tong
    July 22, 2019, 2:00 AM PDT


    Protesters clashed with police over the weekend. Photographer: Chris McGrath/Getty Images

    Kurt W. Tong was formerly U.S. consul general for Hong Kong and Macau.

    When I left my post as U.S. Consul General in Hong Kong recently, news organizations reported that the White House had effectively censored my valedictory remarks, as President Donald Trump apparently did not want to disrupt trade negotiations with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. The Washington Post went so far as to say I’d been “neutered.”

    Put the short-term politics aside. What matters is figuring out what’s really driving Hong Kong’s current unrest, and what the governments of Hong Kong, China and the U.S. should do about it.

    The U.S. has more at stake here than many Americans realize. Opening doors to free and fair trade, with China and other partners, has been a consistent core interest of the U.S. in the western Pacific. Hong Kong has been at the center of that effort ever since the U.S. first opened its consulate in the city 175 years ago.

    Today, Hong Kong deserves America’s commercial, financial and strategic respect and support because its economy and society are positive models for all of Asia. The city shows how open markets and transparent governance work together to create prosperity. The city’s value is buttressed by its rule of law -- not just rule by law -- and by its independent judiciary and sense of fair play.

    That’s why more U.S. businesses -- close to 1,400 of them -- now operate in Hong Kong than when the British returned their onetime colony to China in 1997. Many important American firms, especially in finance and services, continue to favor the city for their Asian headquarters.

    Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy is the necessary ingredient for this success. China’s growing encroachments on that autonomy, however, pose a very real threat to the city’s special status and future competitiveness.

    During my three years as U.S. Consul, I saw Beijing’s interference take many forms: the disqualification of electoral candidates based on their political views; the banning of political organizations; and the prosecution of political activists for encouraging others to peacefully block traffic five years ago.

    This year was marked by the Hong Kong government’s dramatic miscalculation to rush through legislation allowing extraditions for trial in mainland China’s unfair courts. A record number of citizens took to the streets in opposition; protests have continued even after Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam declared the legislation effectively “dead.”

    This outcry is proof that leaders in Beijing have thoroughly underestimated the social anxiety and tensions inherent in the “one country, two systems” construct -- exacerbated of course by glaring economic inequalities within Hong Kong society. A more accurate formulation might be “same bed, different dreams.”

    That reality requires much more careful handling. Most important, Beijing needs to not fret so much about Hong Kong and its freedoms of expression. It should be confident in the city’s future and its positive role inside China.

    Let’s be serious: No outside power wants to see a “color revolution” in Hong Kong. Foreign investors hope only to preserve the status quo -- a Hong Kong that is stable, rules-based, transparent and open; one that is part of China but a uniquely easy place to do business.

    The bigger problem is how the incentives for China to interfere in Hong Kong are becoming institutionalized. The Chinese governmental organizations handling Hong Kong affairs are now so large that they have good bureaucratic reasons to eschew the “less is more” approach that the situation requires. Chinese leaders need to realize they could destroy Hong Kong’s economic specialness if they keep trying to align its political culture with mainland norms.

    Hong Kong’s city leaders, on the other hand, need to stay in closer touch with their people’s aspirations. Autonomy is a “use it or lose it” proposition. They must firmly embrace the notion that Hong Kong’s dual identity is an opportunity, not a burden, and convey that message to Beijing.

    Hong Kong is both the most prosperous city in the world’s largest nation and a place with its own cosmopolitan identity and a degree of interconnectedness with the globe that is unique in Asia. Its leaders should double down on being “Asia’s World City.” Commitment to this idea faded in recent years, as Hong Kong leaders devoted energy to echoing mainland priorities.

    A renewed international push should include more outreach to the U.S., which is, after all, Hong Kong’s most important economic and cultural partner outside China. And the U.S. should reciprocate. In my final message home to Washington, I urged colleagues to recognize the city’s abiding strengths. After all, a couple million people validated last month that Hong Kong remains very different from mainland China.

    Most important, U.S. leaders should always remember that the city isn’t a card to be played against Beijing -- neither a means of highlighting flaws in the mainland’s governance when it suits us, nor a token to be exchanged for concessions in trade talks. Rather, Hong Kong is a vision of what we should want China, and indeed much of the rest of Asia, to look like. We should seek ways to bolster its strengths.

    This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

    To contact the author of this story:
    Kurt W. Tong at KTHKMCG@gmail.com

    To contact the editor responsible for this story:
    Nisid Hajari at nhajari@bloomberg.net
    1,400 more U.S. businesses since the turnover - that was over two decades ago. I wonder what the total number is now.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,907

    wearing white

    So brutal. I won't complain about my commute again.

    Cook caught up in shocking violence near Hong Kong MTR station recalls horrific ordeal as 20 people attacked him with sticks and canes as he made his way home from work
    Calvin So was left severely injured with skin on his back torn, his hands and shoulders wounded and swollen
    Embattled officers face heavy criticism for arriving at scene too late to stop attacks but pro-Beijing lawmaker Regina Ip calls for understanding
    SCMP
    Elizabeth Cheung
    Peace Chiu
    Athena Chan
    Published: 2:26pm, 23 Jul, 2019


    Calvin So shows the marks on his back caused by a brutal attack near Yuen Long MTR station on Sunday night. Photo: Sam Tsang

    A cook caught up in shocking violence in a northern Hong Kong district on Sunday night has recalled the horrendous experience of his journey home.
    Calvin So, 23, had finished work at a restaurant in Yoho Mall, the shopping centre next to Yuen Long MTR station in northwestern Hong Kong, and was walking towards an exit just after 9.45pm. He was attacked by a group of men after simply saying: “There are lots of people in white clothes here.”
    “Some people approached me. Soon after, a person started beating me and more joined in,” So said, adding he was attacked by about 20 people, armed with sticks and canes, during the assault.
    “I didn’t do anything and asked them to stop beating me. But they just ignored me,” he said.


    A mob of men in white T-shirts attack protesters and passengers at Yuen Long MTR station on Sunday night. Photo: Handout

    The railway station was the scene of unprecedented violence on Sunday night as a marauding gang of men in white T-shirts ambushed people including demonstrators returning home from a protest march elsewhere in the city. Some 45 people were injured and 11 have since been arrested.
    So’s ordeal lasted for around five minutes before he tried to flee to safety. He was chased and struck several more times as he escaped the brutality.
    The violent attacks left his back severely injured with torn skin. His hands and legs were wounded and his shoulders swollen.
    He was admitted to Tuen Mun Hospital for treatment and said the injuries left him unable to sleep on his back on the first night.
    “I was in pain whenever something touched my back,” he said.
    So’s recovery was expected to take several weeks and he hoped police would investigate the assaults.
    “There should be at least a public explanation,” he said. “It is unacceptable to see those people randomly attacking others.”
    There should be at least a public explanation
    Calvin So
    By 6pm on Tuesday, five men were still receiving treatment at Tuen Mun Hospital. Among them, one was critical, one was serious and the remaining three were stable.
    Meanwhile, Hong Kong’s former security chief and veteran pro-establishment lawmaker Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee called for residents to show understanding over police handling of the violence, arguing the force had faced attacks comparable to “guerilla warfare” over the past two months.
    Sales down at least 10 per cent at book fair as protest halts traffic
    “The force has been worked to the point of exhaustion and manpower is strained … with so many large-scale protests and attacks since June 9,” Ip, a member of the government’s advisory panel, said on a radio programme on Tuesday.
    The city’s embattled police force came under heavy fire for arriving at the scene too late to stop the attacks on anti-government protesters, journalists and passers-by at the station, as well as terrified passengers on a train.

    Regina Ip calls on Hongkongers to show understanding to city’s exhausted police force. Photo: Sam Tsang

    Ip, an Executive Council member and New People’s Party lawmaker, believed many officers from Yuen Long were deployed to Hong Kong Island as protesters laid siege to Beijing’s liaison office following a march against a now-suspended extradition bill.
    Hong Kong has seen a wave of anti-government, mostly peaceful, protests since early June. The city’s legislature was stormed and trashed on July 1, after Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor refused to fully withdraw the bill, which would have allowed the transfer of suspects to other jurisdictions including mainland China.
    Lam first suspended the bill, then declared it “dead” on July 9.


    The Chinese National emblem is vandalised by protesters who rally outside the liaison office in Sai Ying Pun on Sunday. Photo: Edmond So

    “I hope Hongkongers can understand our police have done very well handling things such as public security and theft, so the overall crime rate is very low,” Ip said.
    “What happened over the past month or so is not normal violence, but continued violence. It is like facing urban guerillas.”
    Ip added she hoped the Chinese army would not be needed to handle the current crisis.
    “I am worried some people are trying to force the People’s Liberation Army to come here,” she said, though she believed the Hong Kong and central governments would try to prevent this as much as possible.
    I am worried some people are trying to force the People’s Liberation Army to come here
    Lawmaker Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee
    She also warned that while there were no casualties at the siege of the liaison office, there was strong political meaning to the actions, with the compound vandalised and the national emblem on the building front defaced.
    Meanwhile, about 30 members of the Foreign Correspondents’ Club (FCC) Hong Kong and journalists silently protested outside the press club on Tuesday morning to condemn the violence directed at journalists when covering the protests last weekend, particularly the “sickening scenes of mob violence” in Yuen Long.
    At least four local journalists were attacked by the marauding gang on Sunday. Two victims were reportedly from Apple Daily, a Chinese-language newspaper, and one each from the Stand News website and cable broadcaster Now TV.
    One female reporter was attacked during a live online report. The news outlet said her hands and right shoulder were hurt and she suffered swelling on the back of her head.
    President of the press club Jodi Schneider said: “We are out here standing for press freedom and to say yes to press freedom, no to violence against journalists. We are renewing our call for independent investigation by a third party, into any harassment or violence against journalists during the protests in Hong Kong.”


    A soldier stands guard at the People’s Liberation Army’s Hong Kong garrison. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

    In a statement, the club called on Hong Kong police and the authorities to urgently find and bring to justice those who carried out the unprecedented attack.
    A joint statement issued on Monday by the Hong Kong Journalists Association, the Hong Kong Press Photographers Association and the Independent Commentators Association made an urgent appeal to local police to protect citizens and journalists.

    This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Cook recalls post-work ordeal as group of about 20 bash him
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,907

    I knew this would come up soon to get us on topic here.


    Who are the Chinese 'triads' accused of attacks on Hong Kong protesters?

    The Telegraph
    James Rothwell
    ,The Telegraph•July 23, 2019


    Screenshot of the moment men in white shirts began beating commuters on a train in Hong Kong. Many of the victims had taken part in a pro-democracy protest earlier that day - AFP

    China's shadowy triads have long been suspected of doing Beijing's dirty work.

    Perhaps most commonly associated in the West with over-the-top action sequences in kung-fu films, the term “triad” refers to various sects of criminal gangs which often harbour intense rivalries with each other.

    Hong Kong is a hub of triad activity, a legacy of the Communist era purge of organised crime from the mainland.

    The ancient gangs have been associated with the suppression of protesters and troublemakers in both Hong Kong and parts of southern China in recent years, where they act as thugs for hire.

    Sunday's attacks were carried out in plain view of security cameras, and with a mysterious lack of police presence.

    The most prominent triad gangs in Hong Kong are 14K and Sun Yee On, and there have been claims that the Wo Sing Wo group are behind Sunday’s attack.

    In 2014, triad thugs riding a motorcycle attacked the outspoken editor of a Hong Kong newspaper editor with a meat cleaver, leaving a six-inch wound on his back. Members of the Shui Fong triad, it has been claimed, carried out the attack in exchange for payments of one million Hong Kong dollars (£100,000) each.

    Ramy Inocencio 英若明

    @RamyInocencio

    THREAD: These unsettling #HongKong videos going viral speak for themselves. If you knew *nothing* about the #HongKongProtests you’d still know this is not right. Local reports say pro-gov’t triads beat anti-gov’t protestors - and anyone in between - at Yuen Long rail station.

    Embedded video
    759
    10:53 AM - Jul 21, 2019
    Twitter Ads info and privacy
    911 people are talking about this
    In the same year, at the height of the Occupy Movement protests in Hong Kong, suspected triad members beat protesters and destroyed their tents in the Mong Kok district, the gangs’ heartland.

    Local authorities in mainland China have also been accused of paying triads to forcefully evict homeowners from their property.

    In one case in 2011, a middle-aged woman who refused to move out died after her house was demolished by a gang while she was still inside. As far back as the 17th century, triad gang members were pawns in political struggles, including one attempt to overthrow the Qing dynasty and restore the preceding Ming dynasty.



    When the Communist Party took power in China after the Second World War, vast numbers of triad gang members fled to Hong Kong.

    Later, in the 1960s, the height of triad activity in Hong Kong, police suspected up to one in six people were members of roughly 60 different triad gangs.


    Men in white T-shirts with poles are seen in Yuen Long after they attacked pro-democracy activists at a train station, in Hong Kong Credit: Reuters

    More recently, drug trafficking has become a significant source of the triads’ income, along with extortion, money laundering, gambling and prostitution.

    Gang members are often recruited in their late teens, and must take 36 oaths as part of their initiation ritual.

    Initiates are warned they will be killed "killed by five thunderbolts" if they fail in their duties.
    THREADS
    Hong kong protests
    Gung Fu and triads
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,907

    Be Water!

    1 AUGUST 2019
    “Be Water!”: seven tactics that are winning Hong Kong’s democracy revolution
    The strategies of Hong Kong protesters, honed through weekly clashes with police, offer a masterclass to activists worldwide.
    BY ANTONY DAPIRAN


    GETTY IMAGES
    Protesters are enveloped by tear gas during a demonstration in Hong Kong, 28 July

    For almost two months, a wave of anti-government protests have rocked Hong Kong. Initially sparked by a government proposal to introduce a law that would allow the extradition of criminal suspects to stand trial in mainland Chinese courts, the protests have morphed into a broader pro-democracy movement, demanding greater government accountability and universal suffrage. Protests have largely been driven by young activists, who have developed and adapted their strategies during weekly protests and clashes with police, offering a masterclass in protest for activists worldwide. Here are some of their key tactics.

    No more occupying – “Be Water!”

    The worldwide “occupy” movements following the Global Financial Crisis of 2008 served as the inspiration for Hong Kong’s previous mass act of civil disobedience – a series of protests known as “Occupy Central” or the “Umbrella Movement” – in 2014. These protests adopted the “occupation” logic of the prior movements, with protesters occupying the city’s main thoroughfares for 79 days in the hope that the disruption would force the government to the negotiating table. The government refused to budge, and the protests ended in failure.

    This time around, Hong Kong’s protesters are taking their inspiration from a source closer to home: local hero, kung-fu movie star Bruce Lee, who famously advised: “Be Water”.


    A banner used by a Hong Kong protester. Photo credit Mary Hui.

    Hong Kong’s young protesters are eschewing the fixed, immobile occupation strategies of the past, in favour of a highly mobile, agile style of protest. A rally may turn into a march; a march may begin in one direction and abruptly change to another direction; the focus of a particular protest action may only emerge in the course of the march itself. In recent protests, small sub-groups of protesters dispatched themselves to carry out targeted “wildcat” occupations of a government building, flooding the entrance lobbies, escalators and lifts. When the government declared the building closed and dismissed staff for the day, the protesters dispersed and moved on to their next target. As Bruce Lee said, “Water can flow, or it can crash!”

    Open-source protest

    The current wave of protests in Hong Kong is leaderless. This is partly a response to the Hong Kong government’s aggressive prosecution of past protest leaders: Umbrella Movement figurehead Joshua Wong was only recently released from prison, while many other leaders including the initiators of the Occupy Central plan, Benny Tai and Chan Kin-man, remain behind bars. With no obvious leader, there is no one to imprison.

    But the lack of a centralised leadership is also a result of the online, organic tactics. Protesters use online forums such a LIHKG – a kind of local, lo-fi version of Reddit where users comment and vote on posts – as well as Telegram chat groups (the larger among these have tens of thousands of members), where the poll function enables participants to vote on next steps: should the protesters stay on or disperse? Protesters vote on the spot, and act accordingly.

    Professor Francis Lee of the Chinese University of Hong Kong has called it “open-source” protest. Volunteers with megaphones or walkie-talkies help to announce and coordinate, but they are not “leaders”. Protesters have also explained that this lack of leadership encourages everyone to get involved and contribute to the movement. In this way, the protesters are enacting the kind of participatory democracy they would like to see.

    Airdrop

    The protesters’ use of Telegram is well-known, and so it was perhaps not a surprise that during the most intense early clashes between protesters and police, Telegram reported that it had been subject to a distributed denial of service attack originating from mainland China. Add on top of this the massive overload of mobile networks when tens of thousands of people are standing in the same small area trying to access their devices simultaneously, and communications can quickly become unreliable. In response, protesters have turned to alternative peer-to-peer technologies, in particular the “AirDrop” feature that every Apple phone is equipped with (AirDrop enables iPhone users to send images to each other over BlueTooth connection, without the need for a mobile connection).

    Protesters have used AirDrop both to share messages with participants in the course of protests, and to spread the word among a broader community. Commuters on Hong Kong subway system may find themselves receiving unsolicited AirDrop messages with slogans promoting the protesters’ cause or advertising the next rally. Prior to protests, Telegram chat groups carry the reminder “Remember to have AirDrop switched on!” Towards the end of a recent protest, as the protesters were preparing to again “Be Water” and disperse together, my mobile phone suddenly began to ping with AirDrop requests carrying the simple message: “Leave together at 7:00.”


    Airdrop used by Hong Kong protesters. Photo credit Antony Dapiran.

    Supply lines and sign language

    The experiences of the Umbrella Movement and recent clashes with police have taught protesters what equipment they need at the front lines. To ensure new supplies can reach the front lines quickly, Hong Kong’s protesters have developed a unique system of hand signals, to send messages through the crowd about what equipment is required.


    Hong Kong protesters’ sign language. Photo credit Antony Dapiran.

    A sign is passed onwards through the crowd back to the supply depots where goods have been transported near to the protest site, and the requested items are then passed through the crowd along a human chain back to where they are needed. These human supply chains have stretched as far as a kilometre in length, and are an impressive sight to behold.

    Antony Dapiran

    @antd
    A VIDEO THREAD: How did HK protesters use hand signals & human chains to get supplies quickly to front lines on Monday? Here, they need more helmets at the front line at LegCo doors. What to do? The hand signal for “helmets” is passed from the front line through the crowd...

    Embedded video
    4,741
    8:02 AM - Jul 3, 2019
    Twitter Ads info and privacy
    2,377 people are talking about this
    This sign language has become so iconic that on a recent “silver haired” rally of elderly Hong Kongers marching in support of the young generation, the elders were learning and practicing the youngsters hand signals in solidarity.

    Antony Dapiran

    @antd
    · Jul 17, 2019
    Replying to @antd
    The young people are handing out crackers and water to the elderly folks marching. In return elders are telling the young folks to stay safe.

    View image on TwitterView image on Twitter
    Antony Dapiran

    @antd
    Teaching the elders how to do the youngsters’ protest sign language. All the elders joining in.

    Embedded video
    1,297
    3:53 AM - Jul 17, 2019
    Twitter Ads info and privacy
    495 people are talking about this
    continued next post
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,907

    Continued from previous post

    Neutralising tear gas

    When police fired tear gas on protesters at the beginning of Hong Kong’s Umbrella Movement protests of 2014, it caused widespread outrage across the Hong Kong community and helped spark the 79-day occupation of the city. Fast-forward five years, and the deployment of tear gas on Hong Kong’s streets has become all-too commonplace. Indeed, over the past weekend alone tear gas was fired by police in dense, residential neighbourhoods on both Saturday and Sunday, and on Sunday evening almost constantly over a period of some four hours. Part of the reason for the increased amounts of tear gas is that protesters have learned how to neutralise it.

    Small mobile teams of “firefighters” wait at the rear of the front lines equipped with traffic cones. When a tear gas shell lands among the crowd, they race in to cover the shell with the traffic cone, creating a “chimney” that contains and funnels the smoke away. Another team member then moves in to pour water into the cone to douse the shell, putting it out. When a traffic cone is not available, water or wet towels are used to smother the tear gas shells, or a nimble protester wearing heat-proof gloves will snatch up the shell and throw it, either back at police or to the side of the crowd out of harm’s way.

    Antony Dapiran

    @antd
    THREAD: How do HK’s #HardHatRevolution protesters neutralize police tear gas? Last night’s clashes with police in Sheung Wan showed how protester “firefighter” teams work. Here they are in position towards the rear of the front lines & ready to mobilize. Note the traffic cones.

    View image on Twitter
    330
    8:02 PM - Jul 28, 2019
    Twitter Ads info and privacy
    217 people are talking about this
    Avoiding a stampede

    One of the greatest risks of injury or death in a crowd arises from the dangers of a stampede. This threat is compounded by the urban geography of Hong Kong: recent protests have taken place on narrow, winding back streets in the old Sheung Wan neighbourhood, or on mazes of overhead crossings and walkways that are interlaced across Hong Kong. When police fire tear gas into tightly-packed crowds, or the rapid-response “Raptor” police teams launch one of their lightning baton charges, the risk of the crowd panicking – and a stampede forming – is acute. Aware of these risks, crowds of protesters chant “One, Two, One Two…” in unison as they retreat, and march in time to the count. This ensures the retreat is orderly and avoids what could otherwise become a deadly crush.

    Antony Dapiran

    @antd
    · Jul 28, 2019
    Replying to @antd
    Another tear gas volley on Des Voeux Road. Protesters throw some tear gas shells back at Police.

    Embedded video
    Antony Dapiran

    @antd
    Under fire from police tear gas, the crowd retreats down a narrow side street. To avoid a lethal stampede, they all chant in unison “1, 2, 1, 2...!” and march in time to the chant.

    Embedded video
    938
    5:07 AM - Jul 28, 2019
    Twitter Ads info and privacy
    345 people are talking about this
    The Revolution will be crowdfunded

    Hong Kong’s activists wanted to win international attention for their cause, and saw the planned G20 summit of world leaders to be held in Osaka at the end of June as an opportunity. Though unable to get their struggle onto the G20 conference room tables, they aimed for the next best thing: their breakfast tables. Activists took out a series of full-page advertisements in newspapers across the world to publicise their struggle. They crowdfunded the adverts with a campaign that had raised over £600,000 within a matter of hours. Volunteers prepared and proofed the text in multiple languages, booked the advertising space and delivered the artwork to newspapers across the world. In the days leading up to and during the G20 summit, striking full-page black and white advertisements reading “Stand with Hong Kong at G20” appeared in newspapers across the world, from the New York Times to The Guardian, Le Monde and Süddeutsche Zeitung, The Australian and the Asahi Shimbun, the Globe & Mail and the Seoul Daily.


    An advert placed in the New York Times by Hong Kong protesters. Photo credit Antony Dapiran.


    Antony Dapiran is a Hong Kong-based writer and lawyer, and the author of City of Protest: A Recent History of Dissent in Hong Kong published by Penguin.
    'Be Water' is really a Daoist concept that Bruce Lee is credited with because of that famous interview. It's amazing how that still resonates.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,907

    “Be strong as ice, be fluid like water, gather like dew, scatter like mist.”

    ENTER THE DRAGON
    Hong Kong Protesters, Inspired By the Late Great Martial Artist Bruce Lee, Stun Beijing

    Groups of “front line” protesters have adopted tactics and strategies of their own to express their dissent in ways that resemble guerrilla warfare rather than planned rallies.

    Brendon Hong
    Updated 08.07.19 4:15AM ET Published 08.06.19 11:50AM ET


    Photo Illustration by Sarah Rogers/The Daily Beast / Photos Getty

    HONG KONG—A citywide strike and a series of anti-police activities shut down much of what is normally an international financial center and logistics hub here on Monday, as the city entered its ninth week of protests. Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong’s flagship airline, canceled more than 150 flights. The subway was paralyzed. Major banks shut their branches. Shops were closed for the day. The Hang Seng stock index dipped by more than 3.6 percent at market closing, wiping out all gains made since January.

    Many of the protesters, who have adopted black as their color and wear it from head to toe, are in their teens or twenties. How did they manage to bring a major city almost to a halt?

    “Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless, like water . . . Water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.”
    — Martial arts icon Bruce Lee, "The Dragon"
    An organization called the Civil Human Rights Front that is affiliated with all of Hong Kong’s democratic camps, including dozens of political parties and nongovernmental organizations, has pulled together the massive marches that have involved up to two million people at a time. But groups of “front line” protesters have adopted tactics and strategies of their own to express their dissent in ways that resemble guerrilla warfare rather than planned rallies.

    The overarching philosophy behind blackshirt actions is “Be Water,” two words lifted from Bruce Lee’s idea of how to overcome what may seem like insurmountable fear: “Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless, like water... Water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.”

    Taking the concept even further, protesters have even formulated four principles: “Be strong as ice, be fluid like water, gather like dew, scatter like mist.”

    Blackshirts readily admit that their portrayal as heroes fighting for freedom is overblown, and I have more than once heard individuals say, “We’re all afraid. But if that’s why we do nothing, then our future is ****ed.” They have taken Bruce Lee’s concept to heart, studying the methods used by civilians in Istanbul, Cairo, and other locales to limit the impact of tear gas and pepper spray.

    Some have formed small groups like pit crews, covering canisters with a container like a traffic cone and dousing it with water—to kill the chemical reaction that releases irritant smoke—while using umbrellas to block the views of police cameras that may be aimed at them.

    Alex Hofford
    @alexhofford
    Truly awesome the way Hong Kongers deal with tear gas.#antiELAB #HongKongProtests#BeWater

    Embedded video
    90.5K
    9:24 AM - Jul 28, 2019
    Twitter Ads info and privacy
    35.9K people are talking about this
    Others have found the perfect implement to extinguish gas canisters by cutting off their oxygen supply—a wok lid, found in any Cantonese kitchen.

    Video clips of protests that took place during New York’s Occupy Wall Street and the Arab Spring, at Istanbul’s Gezi Park, and those initiated by Paris’ mouvement des gilets jaunes have found their way into YouTube playlists shared by blackshirts, offering inspiration for countermeasures against the Hong Kong Police Force, or at least visual cues for how a crackdown by security forces may be executed.

    Texts like Mao Zedong’s On Guerrilla Warfare, which describes the asymmetric battlefield tactics deployed by the Chinese Communist Party’s militias against Japanese troops in the '30s and ’40s, blend with the idea of “being water” to move dozens, even hundreds, of people from one district to another with unpolished efficiency. Decisions to stop and stage actions are made on the fly, taking into consideration a neighborhood’s geographical layout and exit routes suggested by local residents.

    Nectar Gan

    @Nectar_Gan
    This is how protesters flow cross an arterial road in #HongKong like water: some help stop traffic, some help others jump down or climb up the road dividers. In less than a couple of mins over a hundred people have crossed Gloucester Road, and traffic returns to normal

    Embedded video
    56
    7:10 AM - Aug 4, 2019
    Twitter Ads info and privacy
    39 people are talking about this
    Protesters who have studied Mao’s text realize the irony in referencing the Great Helmsman, as they are, in part, responding to Beijing’s increasingly obvious encroachment in Hong Kong’s governance. But one blackshirt cited Sun Tzu’s The Art of War to me, emphasizing the need to understand one’s enemies, or else face constant defeat and peril.
    continued next post
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,907

    Continued from previous post

    The syncretic appetite has paid off. By late afternoon on Monday, blackshirts managed to temporarily occupy public areas in at least six districts as well as part of Hong Kong’s airport. Earlier in the day and over the weekend, they also erected makeshift barriers and blocked access to a cross-harbor tunnel that links Hong Kong Island with the Kowloon Peninsula.

    In most cases, the presence was meant to be temporary, with retreats to new locations determined by a flow of information about police movements posted on an online forum called LIHKG or communicated via messaging apps.

    The idea is to force the police to keep up with mobile groups of protesters who aren’t weighed down by their gear, sapping the security forces’ energy and morale through repetitive motions—and to minimize the number of arrests that are made on any given day. The police have taken 568 people, aged between 13 and 76, into custody since June 9. Among them, 148 were arrested on Monday.

    Blackshirts constantly heckle police officers, calling them corrupt, or labeling them as dogs or affiliated with triad gangs. In return, the police berate protesters for being “useless” and call them trash and cockroaches, presumably because they wear dark clothing and scurry in swarms.

    The Hong Kong Police Force currently faces massive disapproval and opposition from the public. In just the past few days, they have mistakenly arrested foreign nationals who were not involved with the protests (ignoring explanations made in English), released tear gas that choked the elderly in their homes, forced their way into residential compounds, attacked folks who just happened to be out—even when their commanding officer was issuing orders to retreat.

    Yet the police were conspicuously absent whenever groups of armed men in white shirts showed up. On Monday, one crew whacked protesters with bamboo poles; 20 kilometers away, another gang armed with blades and bats was out for blood, slashing and striking people as they charged past.

    In an attempt to understand how the police have become a force with their own agenda, decoupled from communities in every district in the city and allegedly willing to collaborate with underworld elements, some blackshirts have sought answers from books like Philip Zimbardo’s The Lucifer Effect and Hannah Arendt’s The Origins of Totalitarianism.

    “Be strong as ice, be fluid like water, gather like dew, scatter like mist.”
    — Principles for Hong Kong protestors
    On the surface, the protesters of Hong Kong resemble decentralized black bloc groups, with masks and hoods concealing the identities of individuals. But they have refrained from inflicting property damage, which has been a trademark of the blocs in Europe, most recently in Paris. Even during clashes that have taken place in shopping malls, the Hong Kong protesters have been careful, and when they stormed Hong Kong’s legislative headquarters, there were signs put up to remind everyone who entered that books and cultural objects were off limits and had to be preserved, and that theft would not be tolerated.

    On Monday, when multiple police stations were surrounded, some being defaced or damaged, a forum post indicated that one particular station is classified as a historic building and heritage site, so protesters backed off.

    It is decisions like that one, as well as a general sense of reverence for the cultures that define Hong Kong, that have led to sustained support for the “front line” blackshirts. If the umbrella symbolized the pro-democracy movement that changed the calculus in Hong Kong nearly five years ago, then the hard hat, goggles, and gas mask are objects that have come to exemplify the current tsunami of dissent emanating from all corners of the city—to such an extent that the three items are being sold in packages at some hardware stores, at times nearly at cost.

    Denise Ho (HOCC)

    @hoccgoomusic
    Civil disobedience at its finest.🤣🤣🤣🤣

    General strike in Hong Kong today, drivers in Tai Po are helping out by practicing their turning skills.#hongkongprotests #strike

    Embedded video
    4,189
    9:11 PM - Aug 4, 2019
    Twitter Ads info and privacy
    2,117 people are talking about this
    The blackshirts commit to a wide spectrum of actions, ranging from simple traffic disruptions to more radical responses. For instance, the Chinese national flag has been removed from a landmark pole twice since Saturday and tossed irreverently into the harbor, prompting the city’s previous chief executive to offer a reward of more than $127,000 to anyone who comes forth with information that leads to the prosecution of those involved.

    Elsewhere, small groups have hurled bricks and other objects at quarters where the families of police officers reside, drawing criticism. Some used Molotov cocktails last night, chucking them into a police station’s parking lot.

    Yet a core tenet of the protests is to leave no one behind, to back each other no matter what, while discouraging tactics that may create volatile situations. So far, that precept holds, and the blackshirts seemed only to have gained additional support from Hongkongers, their loyalty to each other unbroken.

    In public spaces, especially on subway trains, information about actions and rallies is not just shared on social media but AirDropped from phone to phone, keeping the citizenry abreast of the latest developments in a direct way.

    “Of course we are fearful. But if that happens, I'm sure every Hongkonger knows how to react, and will be water. We will go back home and sleep.”
    — Blackshirt responding to the military threat
    Cognizant of the importance of outreach, the blackshirts are taking their message even further, and held their first press conference on Tuesday morning to act as a “counterweight to the government's monopoly” on disseminating information.

    Even when facing questions from the press, the overarching philosophy that has come to define every blackshirt action was channeled. Answering a query about how they may respond to intervention by the People’s Liberation Army, one said, “Of course we are fearful. But if that happens, I'm sure every Hongkonger knows how to react, and will be water. We will go back home and sleep.”

    In between the musings of a modern kung-fu master, an anti-imperial fighter turned authoritarian, an ancient battle strategist, and contemporary thinkers, the blackshirts’ collective headspace exists. They are the product of a city that refuses to wither away under communist rule. Weekends of rage have become the norm, with flash mob clashes taking place multiple times throughout the rest of the week.

    For those in power, winning means a return to the status quo. An agreeable outcome is a more complicated, fractured matter for the blackshirts—and the rest of Hong Kong.

    The Chinese Communist Party’s signals have been clear. State-run media outlets released a video of Shenzhen police in drills to handle a situation that resembles what plays out on the streets of Hong Kong. And today, the spokesperson of Beijing’s top office that handles Hong Kong affairs, Yang Guang, warned of the “black hands”—foreign forces—behind the protests, and called upon Hongkongers to defend their homeland. Maybe Yang missed the memo: That’s exactly what they’re doing.
    More on that Bruce Lee Chinese connection...
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Canada!
    Posts
    23,110
    I've got a bad feeling about how this is all going to end.

    Don't have a lot of faith in Xi and his government having a change of heart about democracy and autonomous government inside of of Chinese territory.

    The so called "leaders" will be getting getting rounded up and extradited under the bill that everyone is protesting to never been seen or heard from again.

    Authoritarian states are harsh.
    Kung Fu is good for you.

  15. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by David Jamieson View Post
    I've got a bad feeling about how this is all going to end.

    Don't have a lot of faith in Xi and his government having a change of heart about democracy and autonomous government inside of of Chinese territory.

    The so called "leaders" will be getting getting rounded up and extradited under the bill that everyone is protesting to never been seen or heard from again.

    Authoritarian states are harsh.
    It's not going to work out well for the people involved. The software can identify people based on their unique gate.


Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •