Hong Kong residents angry about protesters
CCTV.com
Many people in Hong Kong say their lives and businesses have been disrupted by the "Occupy Central" movement.
Some protesters set up beds on the streets, while others play cards, mahjong, badminton and table tennis in the middle of the road. In Mong Kok, some protesters even set up hot pots to eat together, angering residents and merchants in the neighbourhood.
In Causeway Bay, residents gathered together to demand that the protesters to stop holding concerts at night. The Mong Kok area has been listed as "high-risk" by the police, with a higher chance clashes between angry residents and protesters. Local residents have been speaking out.
"These protesters shouldn't pursue political demands this way. I think Hong Kong society and people’s daily lives will be affected if these protests continue. Now people face traffic jams when they go out or go to work. These protesters want to disrupt public order," a Hong Kong citizen said.
HK lawmakers seek to probe who is behind protests
While protesters continue to remain on the streets, the House Committee of the Hong Kong Legislative Council has passed a motion proposing an investigation into who is behind the Occupy Central movement.
The proposed motion, which will be discussed at the General Assembly on October 29th, still needs approval from other committees of the Hong Kong Legislative Council.
Many legislative members from the House Committee say the organization and mobilization capabilities of the Occupy Central movement are beyond imagination.
They believe the Legislative Council has the responsibility to establish a special committee to investigate who is planning and providing funds for the protesters.
Foreign role?
The motion comes amidst growing friction between China and the US with regard to the protests.
On Thursday, the US Congressional-executive Commission on China released an annual report, saying that the US should follow Hong Kong’s democratic development, enhance exchanges with the region and deploy senior officials there.
The report led to a strong response from the Chinese Foreign Ministry, which said that “no foreign government, organization or individual has the right to get involved in Hong Kong’s affairs, which are purely internal matter for China,” according to a People’s Daily report.
Adding to the debate, the People’s Daily also published a commentary piece on Saturday, arguing that Louisa Greve, a Director of the US-based National Endowment for Democracy, “was already meeting with the key people from Occupy Central several months ago, to talk about the movement.”
The US, for its part, has rejected claims that it has had a role to play in the protests. The Associated Press quotes State Department spokesperson Marie Harf as saying that it ” categorically rejects accusations that we are manipulating the activities of any person, group or political party in Hong Kong.”
Cyber attacks & counter protests
Meanwhile, in Hong Kong, 11 people suspected of attacking government Internet networks have been arrested.
Nearly 54 non-government websites have also been hacked during the Occupy Central movement, the police said on Saturday. If found guilty, they could all face up to 5 years in jail.
Disruptions to daily life such as these have led to more and more people opposing the Occupy Central movement.
Now one such group has launched a petition campaign in the Mong Kok neighborhood, calling for the government to clear demonstrators.
The group calls itself the Blue Ribbon campaign and has been extending support to Hong Kong police.
It says that it hopes the SAR government will clear the main protest sites before Tuesday. Otherwise, it could begin an anti-Occupy action to take back the roads for the residents.