Hong Kong Police Continue Crackdown

Chung Yeung is a grave-sweeping festival, but not many people did that today

Today is Chung Yeung Festival, the autumn version of Qing Ming, or grave sweeping. What should be a day of quiet, reflection, and family gathering was instead turned into another day of Hong Kong being half paralyzed again.

Less than half of the MTR stations were in operation today, forcing many people to use other means of transport (bus, tram, mini bus, taxi), and with the current environment of the Hong Kong government spreading fear, many chose not to go out to do their filial deed.

This had a knock-on effect impacting those in the cemetery industry, from flower sellers to incense and food offerings like roast pork and rice wine.

This Prince Edward memorial has been up since August 31

But it looks like the government doesn't care if people couldn't pay respects to their ancestors, and focused on continuing the spectre of danger looming nearby.

Tonight some 100 protesters gathered at Prince Edward MTR station again. Many believe on August 31, three people were not accounted for when several injured in the station were sent to the hospital. Since then protesters have left funeral offerings in the form of flowers, incense and burning hell money in front of the station entrance (that has since been shut).

Tonight was another opportunity for protesters to pay their respects to them.

However, riot police were having none of it and chased people away with tear gas and shouting.

They were even more rabid in Ma On Shan, where they stormed a shopping mall and pushed away the security personnel who were literally trying to keep the doors shut to prevent them from coming in. The riot police claimed the mall was not a private area (it technically is) and went in to arrest protesters, and even pushed down a Stand News reporter, ripped her glasses off her face and threatened to pepper spray her.

This looks like a scene straight out of a zombie movie: shopping mall security guards tried to hold the doors to stop riot police fr entering but they failed #HongKongProtests pic.twitter.com/nKsmgrT2M6

— Vivienne Chow (@VivienneChow) October 7, 2019

 
https://twitter.com/rhokilpatrick/status/1181225255945158656?s=20
https://twitter.com/rhokilpatrick/status/1181225255945158656?s=20 https://twitter.com/rhokilpatrick/status/1181225255945158656?s=20
What is going on?!

If Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor thinks this is the way to subdue the protests, she has a pack of rabid dogs to tame first. Last night they arrested several children -- as young as 10 years old -- who looked absolutely terrified.

While the police's brutal actions may scare off some people, it has emboldened others to step out and voice their anger from shouting expletives to aiding the protesters with everything from water to food, car rides and even safe houses.

Shopping malls have been a gathering place for protesters

This past weekend violence reached new heights, but unfortunately they are going to climb higher in the coming days, weeks and months.

Meanwhile shopping mall owners and operators are wondering what to do for Christmas, being less than 90 days away. An interesting factoid is that four of Hong Kong's main developers own or operate 100 malls in the city. Talk about ka-ching.

Anyway everyone is wondering now with the current situation what to do about the countdown to Christmas... should they put up displays or risk them being used as weapons or projectiles? Or should they try to bring some cheer to the city?

Tough call, but really it's up to the government to fix this mess they created, four months ago...