Occupy Organizers Bow Out

The Occupy organizers are ready to turn themselves into police tomorrow

Benny Tai Yiu-ting, Reverend Chu Yiu-ming and Dr Chan Kin-man have announced they will surrender themselves to police tomorrow (Wednesday) at 3pm in the hopes it will bring an end to the Umbrella Movement and urged the protesters to save their energy and regroup later in their fight for democracy.

During the press conference today, Reverend Chu was teary-eyed, wiping his eyes while Tai spoke. They hope that by "sacrificing" themselves legally they can protect the young people from getting more hurt or into more clashes with police.

"For the sake of the occupiers' safety, for the sake of our original intention of love and peace, as we prepare to surrender, we three urge students to retreat and put down deep roots in the community and transform the movement to extend the spirit of the umbrella movement," Tai said.

However will the students and die-hard protesters listen to them and continue their occupation of the sites? Or will they quietly leave after over two months of civil disobedience?

And how will the police deal with the adult trio? Will they even bother to "arrest" them? Or will they be treated like those who have been extradited back to Hong Kong because of serious crimes?

While there are probably many lawyers who are willing to defend the three for their persuading others to commit civil disobedience for the good of Hong Kong, how would this argument stand up in court because it happened in such a large scale?

Meanwhile Joshua Wong Chi-fung is conducting his hunger strike and critics have joked he is already skinny so how long can he last?

What is the end game? The courts have granted court injunctions for part of Connaught Road and and Harcourt Road to be cleared -- in Central and Admiralty respectively -- again for a tour bus company and not the government.

While the Occupy trio are doing the gentlemanly thing, it may not solve the problem; it may cause others to become more hard core in their actions or to give up and go home.

Regardless, all the protesters cannot think that their efforts in the past 65 days have been for nothing. They have shown themselves and the world that they are Hong Kong people who have a voice and have spoken out loud and clear.