Confrontations Continue for a Third Weekday

Two students catch some rest on a couch outside in Chinese University

Yesterday's siege at Chinese University of Hong Kong shocked a lot of people, not just that the police fired over 1,300 rounds of tear gas, but that they entered a university campus that is considered sacred ground for intellectuals. Students and alumni feel this is a place of virtue that needs to be defended.

Into the early hours this morning, volunteers ferried up supplies to the front-line protesters and a call out was made today for everything from food to first aid, goggles, helmets, even scissors and battery packs to charge phones.

Over 1,3000 rounds of tear gas were fired last night

However, some people carrying some of these supplies in shopping bags were stopped by police from entering the campus and were arrested. Arrested! Arrested for shopping! Many were middle-aged aunties trying to do their bit to help the students.

In any event, some got creative and disguised their purchases in bags from luxury brand boutiques covered in tissue paper. Others brought up supplies via private cars.

Meanwhile the students up there are gearing up for another serious clash with the police, even practicing their throwing skills on the running track. Others tried to catch as much sleep as they could.

Back in Central at noon young professionals were out in force again today in their office wear, occupying Pedder Street and Connaught Road. Instead of going back to work after the lunch hour, they continue to stay, and set up road blocks creating traffic chaos for drivers. Many offices let their employees go for the day and shops start closing if they haven't already. The shops in Times Square in Causeway Bay didn't even open, unless they were food related.

Matthew Cheung (right) doesn't know why people are angry

Then Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung Kin-chung had the gall to say in the Legislative Council that he didn't have an opinion poll giving him the information to explain the public anger towards the authorities, as the extradition bill had already been withdrawn.

Needless to say the pro-democracy lawmakers were flabbergasted -- as well as the rest of us.

Pan-democrats told the government it had to stop refusing to acknowledge the real reasons behind the growing public resentment, as the increasing anger is fueling the protests now into its 158th day.

Cheung said the ongoing protests were no longer about the now-withdrawn extradition bill, but that the protesters were now focused on disturbing the peace.

When asked what was the biggest cause of public anger, Cheung replied he didn't have access to a public opinion poll to tell him, and that people could be upset about various things.

Protest art has taken on a bigger canvas, the entire street

"Housing problems, the wealth gap, social mobility, and other social issues can all be triggers," he said.

But Cheung also conceded there are concerns about the police force. "Some people hold certain views about how the police enforce the law, but they have to respond to the law and order incidents. There's no way they can stay away."

Democractic Party lawmaker James To Kun-sun was gobsmacked to hear Cheung say he didn't know what the root cause of people's anger was. To said it is clear that police brutality is driving so many people to take to the streets.

"It points to the ignorance of the government of people's opinion on the police's excessive force and brutality. People understand the police have a duty to enforce the law, but [it should be] in a reasonable and proportionate way," To said.

Thousands gathered in Central for a third day at lunchtime

He added that the government's conclusion -- or the one "dictated" to it by Beijing -- that stopping violence is the most important task, means the problem is only getting worse.

Cheung's remarks show how utterly out of touch Hong Kong's leadership is with its people. It also shows complete incompetence and the inability to understand and solve the core problems the city is facing. This also gives the strongest argument yet why people are fighting for universal suffrage -- to be able to elect their own leader so that the leadership has accountability.

Beijing is only listening to a small group of elites, mostly business tycoons, about how Hong Kong should be run, or what they think the city needs. By the same token Beijing is not interested in going in the ground to talk to ordinary people to ask them what they need, and instead just wants to impose its authority on the city.

Last night a mainlander who works for a human rights organization wrote on Twitter:

"As a mainlander who has been robbed of any collective political action since birth, I want to say to Hong Kongers: you are posing a challenge to the Communist Party that it has never experienced since it took over China 70 years ago. For that alone, you are incredible."

As a mainlander who has been robbed of any collective political action since birth, I want to say to Hong Kongers: you are posing a challenge to the Communist Party that it has never experienced since it took over China 70 years ago. For that alone, you are incredible. https://t.co/yVyYcvKTc7

— Yaqiu Wang 王亚秋 (@Yaqiu) November 12, 2019

People in Hong Kong accept that they are a part of China, but they want to be able to elect their leader. The government is not listening and as a result Hong Kong's institutions are falling apart and authoritarianism is taking over, thanks to the heavy handedness of the police. 

Where is the way out of this mess? We all want a peaceful solution, but how can it be found when the government can't even understand why its people are so angry?