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Hong Kong braces for protests as government shuts offices

Hong Kong braces for protests as government shuts offices

Hong Kong braced for the possibility of more anti-government protests on Thursday after scenes of violence and chaos rocked the normally peaceful global trade and finance center a day earlier.

Riot police were visible on the street near the local legislature — the epicenter of Wednesday's turmoil — but their presence was lighter, as rain poured down on the city before skies later cleared. There were few signs of protesters in the area.

Still, government offices in the financial district were closed for the rest of the week due to the protests and the main subway station servicing the area near the Legislative Council — the assembly's official name — remained shut.

Police and demonstrators clashed for hours on Wednesday as citizens protested Chief Executive Carrie Lam's proposed legal amendments that would allow people in Hong Kong to be extradited to mainland China.

Protesters gathered at the legislature because lawmakers were scheduled to debate the plan, but they ultimately could not because of the disruption caused by the protest.

And on Thursday, Legco — as the Legislative Council is informally known — announced in a statement that there would be no meeting that day either.

Wednesday's violence broke out outside the legislature after it was surrounded by demonstrators. Police wielding batons and riot shields fired tear gas and rubber bullets at the crowds, and protesters used open umbrellas in defense, with some throwing objects at police.

The government said a total of 79 people had been injured and hospitalized as of 11 a.m. local time Thursday, with two described as in serious condition.

Lam, who has refused to withdraw or delay the extradition plan, held her ground and condemned the protests as "intolerable" in a Wednesday evening video address.

"Clearly, this is no longer a peaceful assembly but a blatant, organised riot, and in no way an act of loving Hong Kong," she said.

One country, two systems

The protests, which kicked off over the weekend with a massive rally, underscore worries about what is seen as a broader erosion of Hong Kong's rights and freedoms in relation to China.

Hong Kong citizens, who enjoy a British-based legal system independent from the rest of China, fear the plan could threaten those judicial protections and their broader autonomy as well.

"The general perception is that the law is ... designed to create some kind of deterrence effect against the pro-democracy movement and the dissidents in Hong Kong," Joseph Cheng, a pro-democracy advocate and retired professor of political science, said Thursday on CNBC's "Squawk Box."

The territory of 7.4 million people, formerly part of the British Empire, has been a specially administered region of China since July 1, 1997.

It has its own government, currency, police force and civil service. Under a unique "one country, two systems" framework, China handles foreign affairs and defense and the the People's Liberation Army maintains a small garrison but keeps a low profile.

Lam, who says the legal changes are necessary, categorically denied Monday the idea that they were proposed by the central government in Beijing. Still, the Chinese government is on record as backing the bill, though Beijing has denied trying to water down Hong Kong's autonomy.

"Hong Kong people's rights and freedoms have been fully guaranteed," Geng Shuang, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman, said at a regular briefing Wednesday in Beijing.

'Tyranny opens fire'

The violence appeared to shock Hong Kong.

Local newspapers carried photos of the clashes on their front pages. "Tyranny opens fire on us," the liberal Apple Daily wrote in Chinese on its front page over a photo of riot police squaring off with demonstrators.

"I'm hurt. It's sad," a local government worker, who requested anonymity, told CNBC on Thursday morning. "It's dangerous," he said of the violence that rocked the city.

Police said that 240,000 people participated at the peak of Sunday's protest that saw throngs march down a main street shouting slogans and carrying signs denouncing the legislation and demanding Lam resign.

Organizers, however, claimed a turnout of slightly more than 1 million. The last time Hong Kong saw a protest of such scale was in 2003 when an estimated 500,000 people rallied against a proposed security law that also raised fears of closer links to China.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng index has taken a hit, closing 1.73% lower on Wednesday after slumping as much as 2% in the afternoon session, amid the street clashes. It continued its slide Thursday, initially falling about 1% before recovering about half of the losses.

The protestors are winning if the HKSAR government is shutting down its offices. There is no way the protestors could continue if the police were serious about cracking down on them. This means the HK police are actually on the side of the protestors. They are deliberately handling them with kid gloves. The HKSAR government is losing control. Elements disloyal to Beijing have infiltrated.

It's time for the PLA to move in with tanks and drive from New Territories to Central. Shower the protestors with white phosphorus and crush them underneath our Type 099A2 tanks! Reduce the population of HK so much that every survivor will have enough space to live in detached housing like Americans.

YES, KILL THEM ALL! NUKE THEM ALL. LOL :taz::taz::taz: Flattened Hongkong! China can always rebuild the island later on.
 
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... 2 million 3 million protesters (I read VN newspaper =))) (3 million protesters in the US are better)

Chinese people are drowned by the West and the world for several hundred years without developing, until now,
Now, China is still not united.
I cry.

There is an article in soha.vn VN saying, Hundreds of years are "buried": Are Western powers too "evil" to China ?,
http://soha.vn/hang-tram-nam-bi-vui...-voi-trung-quoc-20190527120201768.htm?fbclid= IwAR2ObAybrE0YYRseP8sM6d5QPXzHCtZbp4gU1gko2vQgp0tAWXuvA0GXc-Y

A few hundred years of being buried, rather than 100 years, this article shared & liked the most soha.vn

while China in the 13th century, China solved the equations of number 10, until the 16th century Europe solved the equations of number 3. => Since ancient times, China has been ahead of the world for millennia. 1000 years .

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China keeps its promise to the Hongkong until 2047, but I think I still have to say a few words, and depending on the world situation, handle HK. China, territorial sovereignty of China,China has the right, regardless of who says anything, does not care about anyone, does not fear anyone, China does not need land anymore.
This moment, I'm not afraid of anyone. (China is righteous, road,,road, main,main,go)
China's territorial sovereignty, where China is, is still China's, from ancient times to now, where are Chinese peoples going

==> All Chinese members talk to the protesters.
(America has expired.)
Want to watch fantasy movies and come to the new planet, then about go home patriotism and work.
We protested, and the Americans sat and smiled, happy, not worth it, were it worth it, went to work hard, and then come to reap the fruits, let the world know what people are educated , Chinese culture, civilization.
Chinese members talk to Hong Kong, Taiwan -> want to watch fictional movies & come to new planets -> love China and work. (China must have its own standard, own design, alien technology)

The new law for safety and technology protection and good for everyone, good for the country, why against, against is not love the country already, betrayed it, betrayed the country already.
all member China please explain to the protesters.

explain to protesters, dkm, stupid protesters than pig dogs,
demonstrators were deceived by the US.
Hong Kong is so rich, why must I follow America, England ??

The bastards, see China so gentle, they come forward.
In America, kill all protesters.
(China Hong Kong Taiwan, carefully planning to provoke, not listening to American words, agitating, deadly)
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everyone in Hong Kong Taiwan (people are living on China, eating in China, everyone is in the east)
which country do you come from? What ethnic group?
Are you crazy, stupid, According to America, stupid dkm is just stupid and just right,
let others be stupid with.

China should go to Hanoi Vietnam, Vietnam teaches how to resist protests and anti-betrayal. Vietnam teaches how to make people love the government, love the country. People's war.
VN teaches how to unify the country, Vietnam is full of Mandarin, so is China, south of Mandarin.
i hear Hong Kong sounds very funny, language, and it sounds funny, sounds very harsh, rotten, pissed.

Demonstrating, starving, stupid animals learned by the US,
In Vietnam, within 1 minute, rebellion was stopped, police came immediately, went home, did not protest at all, Vietnam protested, fear of chaos, like the Middle East.
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Get rid of (US) Google, stupid epidemic than pig dogs.
My time ,consuming. stupid translation. stupid
Stupid Translation

I need Chinese network, Chinese technology. Global need to eliminate stupid American networks.
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Who likes to tease Hong Kong Taiwan ???
Go on poking at people's country, what a thick face, don't know shyness.
-

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retribution and cause and effect.
The results for the US and the United States collapsed, faded away, decaying.
American Indians ,evaporate.


/
serious youth :)) =))
 
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First time I agree wt u LOL :yahoo::yahoo:

Btw, US just promise to protect "democracy" in HK :bunny::bunny:
Didn't the Soviet Union promise to protect Vietnam just before PLA burned down three provincial capital cities Cao Bang, Lao Cai and Lang Son? :lol:
 
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Didn't the Soviet Union promise to protect Vietnam just before PLA burned down three provincial capital cities Cao Bang, Lao Cai and Lang Son? :lol:
Lets burn down HK, nuke them to ashes and ur dad wont get head shot like in 1979 war :yahoo::yahoo:
 
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My personal view.

1, Beijing should immediately tell the world the "Two Systems" in HK will be ended by 2047. As Deng Xiaoping promised to keep everything unchanged for 50 years. There will be only ONE system by then. Those who don't like it should leave HK before that day.
2, No more new law related to mainland anymore. It's not necessary cause everything needs to be restarted 28 years later. Don't give any excuse to those traitors anymore to make chaos in HK. Just silently wait till 2047. These traitors will either leave or be punched with no mercy.
3, No more economic priority for HK. Beijing already got bad reputation in HK. Let the bad reputation become reality.

Let me said my opinion about Hongkong.

I think, Mainland China + Hongkong + Macau, the Greater China is already a country that we can call as Federal type of Government. One Country - Two Systems that PRC Government had offered is actually a form of Federal Government. Because like it or not, Hongkong is a part of China. They have their own domestic law, but they don't have the right to conduct foreign relationship, or to form a military institution. They have their own local police, but that's all.

So I think, rather than waiting for 50 years and then force them to obey the mainland law; while at the same time let Hongkonger think that they are not a part of PRC. This is of course very dangerous, because when the time (50 years) come, and the Mainland Government try to impose their law into Hongkong, there will be a biggest drama that the PRC government doesn't want; a very dangerous situation that can endanger China Geo Political Interest, and kill their long term effort that they have build for a very long-long time.

I think, China should remind them that they are PRC citizens. But live in a special administrative city that has their own domestic law, and law enforcement. Like in any Federal Government. The Mainland Government will respect their local law, but Hongkong should respect the main Government by not forming their own military nor foreign diplomatic relation.

For any National security threat that can endanger the country, China can form a bureau like FBI. So there is no Extradition treaty bullshit etc like what happen right now. Because like it or not, One country - Two system can give Hongkonger an imagination, that they live in their own country. And not a part of China territory. So when the Government do something, they will resist, because they think that PRC is invading their country.

For me, this is already a blunder that must be stopped. But not with iron fist, nor stupid indoctrination that Communist usually do. Because that way can create a bigger drama that CCP doesn't want or need to. I think forming a Federation for Greater China is a better solution, for it give win-win situation for both ways. Who know, Taiwan will interest to join after that.

But first, those CCP members should close their Karl Marx bible, or they will single mindedly impose their law into Hongkong that can cause a very big blunder. China doesn't need Karl Marx anymore.
 
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