Some photos from my iPhone, from the Hong Kong democracy demonstrations, in Central, yesterday. My brief comments below photos:
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| Straight off the DB ferry, into IFC Mall. Pretty much business as usual... |
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... and past Exchange Square, the usual groups of Filipina domestic
helpers on a public holiday... |
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| ... hanging out in Central, just like a normal Sunday |
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And in the walkway to IFC, they gather in groups
based on where in the Philippines they come from.
Chit-chat and noodles... |
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| ... and doing business, as usual. |
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Lots of visitors -- mainly mainlanders -- get a vantage point up
Connaught Road, Central's Main St, just looking on |
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| Past collection points for food and water, free for all |
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| A talkathon, Main St, Central |
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My free translation:
"Peacefully protest;
Fight to the end;
Head winds... Only make flying easier".
(The phrase "fight to the end" is a Maoist one...) |
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Main St Central closed. Crowds chilling. There were some people
walking along spraying water mist on the people to cool them off (32C) |
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Looking East to Wanchai, where the crowds were
even bigger, "tens of thousands" by most accounts... |
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| HSBC HQ in the background. (and the WWI cenotaph) |
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| Strollin' and chillin' |
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Young girls collect rubbish. The roads were also
being cleansed of chalked-on slogans.
Those pads on foreheads are cooling pads (32C) |
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Yellow brollies have become the symbol of the demos.
More free food and drink |
"What next?" people ask. Here I just record photos.
The commentariat (BBC, Bloomberg, CNN, New York Times) has no idea: anything from "wait it out", to "Tiananmen 2.0".
I said to Jing early on that the best may be "
Wu Wei", a Taoist concept of "do nothing" (to achieve something).... That seemed to be a strategy till this morning, when Beijing has gone all tough: "the foreign forces behind these illegal demos must be cut down" and "if the demonstrators do not stop these illegal occupations, the consequences will be unimaginable". These are scary words. And they've cancelled all Chinese tour groups to Hong Kong (about 75 % of tourists to HK)
Some things for certain: Beijing will not compromise on the election package for 2017; Chief Executive CY Leung will not resign; and Beijing will not hesitate to interfere if it sees any challenge to its one party rule or chance of this "chaos" (Luan) happening on the mainland.
In short, the two main aims of the protesters (Leung to resign and open elections in 2017) are unachievable, and even their leadership acknowledges this. For an self-admittedly unattainable goal, they risk what Hong Kong already has: freedom of speech and assembly, clean and open government, the rule of law overseen by an independent judiciary..
So, while one hopes for a peaceful outcome, one fears the worst.....
Meantime, effects on business? Down about 15-20%, when this China Golden Week they usually expect a 20% increase. So that's about a swing of 30+%. And that's the difference between being bottom-line black and bottom-line red. Rents still have to be paid and they're the highest in the world.
Tomorrow is back to work. Then a weekend. Alan Zeman, a long-term business man in Hong Kong -- well connected with the government -- is predicting fewer Occupiers next week and gradual return to normal, with maybe some conduit to discussions between the demonstrators and the government. I hope he's right, but I fear he's wishfully thinking.
As the traditional TV pundit sign-off goes, when you really don't know: "Time will tell"....
