Yesterday, I was getting ready to go to Wanchai to watch the protesters do their thing when I got an SMS on my mobile phone from the police warning me to stay away from Wanchai and Causeway Bay. They evidently sent it to everyone with a Hong Kong mobile number. I stayed away.
Our favorite cocktail waitress, Flora, showed up late for Happy Hour yesterday evening because of the demonstrations and tear gas. Police wouldn’t let her access her Wanchai flat so she could rescue her children (they are actually dogs). They also closed the Wanchai MTR station.
The paper today, Sunday, is full of pictures and stories of yesterday’s marches and near riot. The protesters led by the Korean farmers attacked the police and came within yards of the Convention Center. I guess they weren’t getting enough of what they wanted, publicity, so they upped the ante.
Most of the people, I talk to, can’t wait for all the idiots to go home. “Idiots” being both the delegates and the protesters. Looks like there will be no agreement among the delegates and the protests will change nothing no matter how violent they get. I would guess that the violence of the protests is in direct negative correlation to the results the protesters say they want. Does the term “Luddites” come to mind here?
In 2002 and 2003, the people of Hong Kong, through a series of totally peaceful marches, managed to get the HK CEO fired, kill a National Security Law, and advance the cause of Democracy. 500,000 people peacefully marching for what they believe in creates a hell of a lot more clout than 1,000 protesters creating havoc. Where are Ghandi and Martin Luther King when we need them?
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