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South China Morning Post- Hong Kong Protestors


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  • Dec 1, 2014
  • Updated: 9:56am

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LIVE: Police use hoses to drench Occupy protesters outside Hong Kong's government HQ

Students clash with police in standoff near Legco
PUBLISHED : Monday, 01 December, 2014, 7:32am
UPDATED : Monday, 01 December, 2014, 10:00am
Danny Lee, Danny Mok, Shirley Zhao, Chris Lau, Alan Yu

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10am:Another disgruntled protester voices doubt over the latest call to arms from the Hong Kong Student Federation: "Some people are very frustrated that they are being led [by the student federation] to occupy roads only to allow police to beat them up and push them back out," said protester Declan Siu, 23, a part-time student studying in Australia and back for summer holiday.
"Any social movement must keep on escalating or it will die."
"But Siu said he himself was very conflicted and could not decide if retaliating against police was the right thing to so.
"That's the thing about civil disobedience, nobody really understands the concept that well," he added. "But I don't agree that they should be putting the blame on and scolding the students.”
9.50am: Here's what we're seeing at Admiralty, where violence has flared at the MTR station. The entrance to Admiralty Shopping Centre is now blocked.
Ariel view of the standoff in Admiralty. Photo: Chris Lau
9.40am: Music teacher Derek So describes the water-splash device as one similar to a "water hose used by firemen and marine police".
"It shot out pressurised [liquid] and the [liquid] fell on people," the 23-year-old says.
He adds: "Everyone left immediately without putting up a fight."
Another protester Suen, 21, recalls the hose was yellow in colour and that he spotted it as early as 3am near the Central Government Office.
"It was on the floor, and I saw it being picked up," the student says, but adds he did not witness police using it.
9.15am: Three suspected undercover police officers carrying Hong Kong police badges and batons, are chased towards the exit of Admiralty MTR station through Admiralty Centre. After an exchange of words with the protesters, the men signal to the protesters to come and fight with them.
Protesters chase after them before the officers lead a baton charge, pinning down around six or seven protesters. One officer is knocked out almost cold. Protesters chant: “Put away batons!” before arrests are made. The knocked out police officer is stretchered onto an ambulance.
A man, believed to be a police officer, is stretchered out of Admiralty MTR. Photo: Ernest Kao
9.05am: Police guarding Lung Wo Road on Legislative Council Road retreat. Metres away, the entrance to Tamar Park also reopens, with protesters given access to the park again.
9am: Terry Kwan Yin-cheung, 18, a first year philosophy student at Lingnan University, tells our Post reporter: "I feel very confused right now because we expected something big but not what happened last night and now we are in a dilemma."
"We cannot get inside the legislative council or outside the Chief Executive's office. We just sit here on the road [Harcourt] and defend ourselves against the police. This is not what I thought would happen last night.
"I thought that when HKFS called us out last night using their trust, to call to Admiralty to help put pressure on the government, and I see that the government have no response and we now back to old times." A protester appears to have been injured. Photo: SCMP
8.40am: Tensions rise as protesters begin bickering amongst themselves, with some becoming openly hostile. Many say they are disappointed with the students' leadership of the failed occupation of Lung Wo Road and siege of government complex.
At least one helmet and beer can is thrown at the students by angry fellow Occupy protesters as they discuss the next step at the main stage.
"All you do is grab the stage and chant slogans. We've listened to this crap for more than 60 days," shouted one masked protester at the students. "If you don't have the heart to go on then leave. It's either we grab our tools now or go home!"
Another protester says he had "many brothers injured" because students refused to let them retaliate and throw objects at police to prevent them from advancing.
"If you want us to help surround [government buildings] we will. Don't teach us how to do it and what we can't do," another protester said. "Just tell us the plan and let the citizens take care of it."
Federation of Students representatives try to calm them down saying it is pointless to attack police and give them an excuse to escalate action.
Protesters are pictured reinforcing the barricades at the bottom of escalators near government headquarters.
Barricades are reinforced at Tamar. Photo: SCMP
A crowd of protesters rallies on Connaught Road outside the Central Government Office. Photo: May Tse
8.30am: A police source confirms that hoses were used for the first time to "cause discomfort" in the hope that the protesters will leave. The fresh water, tapped from fire hose by police, was aimed in the air, not at people, the source says. Television images show it was used at the junction of Tim Wah Avenue and Lung Wo Road at 7am.
8.20am: Yany Yan-yin Tse, a 24-year-old student at the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts, claims she has witnessed police officers using violence against women. In tears, she says: "I saw the police beating up women (sic). She was by herself, and they had her held down but kept beating her. There were three or four policemen around her swinging their batons so no one could rescue her. She was crying for help.”
Here are some more pictures from overnight:

Students in a tunnel at Tamar. Photo: SCMP
Police try to move protesters away from the government buildings. Photo: SCMP
8.15am: Tension appears to have eased on Legislative Council Road, as protesters  who previously pushed back from Lung Wo Road sit down in a standoff with the police. The entrance to Tamar Park near the rear gates of Legco is still blocked by police officers wearing helmets.
8am: Police force protesters previously occupying roads around the government headquarters and blocking a main staff entrance back to their original protest site on Harcourt Road. Tensions remain high as police taunt protesters by clapping and laughing at them from the bridge above Harcourt Road. Protesters respond by jeering and swearing at them.
7.45am: A protester with a megaphone implores police: "Stop pushing or else you'll push citizens down the stairs. Please stay calm." Government staff at Tamar are advised not to go to work this morning in an announcement made at 7am by the government which stated offices would be temporarily closed due to access roads being blocked.
Message announcing the government has closed its Tamar offices
7.30am: Tensions flared overnight after hundreds of students faced off with police outside Legco. at 7.10am police dismantled the barricades set up by protesters on both ends of the Lung Wo Road tunnels and chased protesters back onto Tim Mei Road. Officers, armed with helmets, shields and batons, formed a standoff against hundreds of protesters outside the legislative council. Protesters shouted: "Don't do anything. We are all Hongkongers." Police officers then shot back: "Then why do you insult the police?"
7.25am: Police move to secure the walkways joining the Central Government Office and Admiralty. Meanwhile, a yellow truck drives past the reopened Lung Wo Road, followed by a school bus, escorted by police motorbikes.
Police officers in a standoff at the footbridge near Legco. Photo: Danny Lee
Here's how the South China Morning Post reported events through the night:
Students fought running battles with police outside government headquarters on Sunday night as Occupy protesters tried to storm the Admiralty compound and lay siege to Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying's office.
Minutes after student leaders called on the thousands gathered at the Admiralty Occupy encampment, hundreds of protesters - wearing an assortment of hard hats and protective masks -  thronged around government headquarters and Tamar Park and  began trying to breach police lines at various points.
Police used pepper spray and baton charges to repel them, leaving some bloodied and requiring treatment by makeshift medics. Key areas of violence were Lung Wo Road and the walkways from Harcourt Road to government headquarters.
Read the full story here

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Comments

15
HK-Explorer
HK-Explorer Dec 1st 2014
8:12am
Last night students were a disgrace to their parents and dishonored their family. No child bought up with family values and taught respect for others would have acted like these students. That is not the picture the people want to show the rest of the world about what Hong Kong is about. Do we want to be seen in the same light as Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan?
The actions of the students do not reflect Hong Kong which until 2 months ago was a city of respect, friendship and safety. Certainly not a culture of mob rules, blindly following others and blindly believing what others tell them. No one wants the society that these students are moving Hong Kong towards. We don’t want to teach our children that to get what you want you need to use violence and increase the violence until the other side gives in.
These violent students (there were hundreds upon hundreds of them last night) are ruining the moral fabric of Hong Kong.
542e1ec3-be00-4292-86f7-04d20a3209cb
gavinb@****** Dec 1st 2014
8:18am
The violence unleashed last night by these arrogant protesters showed the real face of their movement. The first comments below calling it a fight is correct - it was a violent fight against police, who had hard objects thrown at them. What a shameful showing by these rioters. I am sure their supporters will claim police started it but from what I saw, police merely responded to an angry, violent crowd.
HK-Explorer
HK-Explorer Dec 1st 2014
8:16am
Gambarota1 - Were you that loony on the street waving his hands to try and bring others onto the street to attack the police? When the students violently attacked the police in 2-3 locations I was shocked. I knew the students had become militant but even I expected they would still have more control than they did. The students were like ****s swarming everywhere. They did not care if cars were coming towards them. They did not care that by charging the police with the wooden boards / metal barricades that they would get hurt. The students were just so high on anger, hatred and adrenaline that they could not control themselves. this was the strongest mob mentality.
shazza
shazza Dec 1st 2014
8:14am
HK Police should investigate poster at 7:54am for incitement of violence
tvleet
tvleet Dec 1st 2014
8:40am
These students are stupid. One cannot teach stupid. It is a fact. HK government and police officers, just do your job to enforce law and order. Impart severe penalties upon those who are stirring up trouble in the name of democracy. You cannot please everyone. Just do your job, do it right, and end this stupid charade. If the government do not act forcefully now, this cancer will get seriously aggressive and out of hand. History will forever view this as a very weak government unable to lead and govern. Hong Kong does not have an army. Borrow some from China,
XYZ
XYZ Dec 1st 2014
8:32am
Why not stop all the arguing and hold a free and fair election for mayor?
.
Oh, that's right, I forgot. The people of Hong Kong aren't ready for democracy.
.
Instead, we must live with the incompetent, overpaid and senseless dolts currently "occupying" our government, and we must live with their tone deaf and idiotic policies which have culminated in turning the youth of Hong Kong into radical protesters.
.
Brilliant.
.
When are the government leaders going to get off their butts and engage these people in a serious dialogue? That is the only solution.
.
They should do their jobs or resign. All of them.
54444397-b1e0-4eb4-b15b-04d30a320969
gambarota1 Dec 1st 2014
7:54am
WELL DONE STUDENTS!!! COME ON!!!
DEMOCRACY NOW!!!
THE FIGHT JUST BEGAN!!!
Green
Green Dec 1st 2014
9:34am
I think we should have a survey to see whether we feel that the press is biased against the police in their reports and actions.
shazza
shazza Dec 1st 2014
8:56am
GavinB is right. The government should make 1 more offer to the students to talk and this time, it should be about the nominating committee and contents of the report to the HK-Macau liaison office. If the students have any brains, they should take the opportunity to engage and try to shape the composition of the Nominating Committee. If they still don't want to talk, then it should be off with the kid gloves and put them all in jail once and fo all..
5354
5354 Dec 1st 2014
9:30am
If the students had any brains?? Surely not asking this question after all that we have seen.

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