Chickeeduck Owner Defiant Despite Closure Next Year

Chickeeduck owner Chow say stores will close end of 2022

It was only a matter of time before pro-democracy clothing store Chickeeduck would be forced to close and a few days ago the owner announced it would do so by the end of next year, citing "harassment by the evil force".

Businessman Herbert Chow Siu-lung, founder and CEO of Chickeeduck, said he and his shops had been targeted by smear campaigns and subjected to pressure from the authorities since he lent his high-profile support to the anti-government protesters in 2019.

The stores sell pro-democracy clothing

"The situation now is such that if you do not speak up in support of the government, you will be regarded as an enemy of the state," he said last Thursday, when he revealed he will close local Chickeeduck operations.

He said his suppliers on the mainland and overseas had received warnings not to do business with his company.

"If we cannot guarantee a stable supply of products, our business model cannot be sustained. And our decision is to exit the Hong Kong market in the second half of 2022," he said.

But he was quick to add he was not shutting down the Chickeeduck brand entirely.

"I am not leaving Hong Kong and I have no plan to emigrate overseas either. I may start other businesses in the future under the trademark of Chickeeduck," he added.

Chow said perhaps he would get into the early childhood business and set up a "Chickeeduck nursery", or expand the clothing business overseas.

A Chickeeduck store with graffiti artwork

He said his brand's exit from Hong Kong should not be seen as a failure of the "yellow economic circle", referring to the campaign for pro-democracy people to spend money in businesses that supported the 2019 anti-government protests.

"Hong Kong people's support for the yellow economic circle has been strong," he said. "You can see long queues outside some yellow restaurants. They have no problem with their business. Chickeeduck is an exceptional case because we cannot sustain ourselves if we cannot keep a steady supply of products from our suppliers."

A close friend of Occupy co-founder Benny Tai Yiu-ting, Chow said he has experienced difficulty in renting shop spaces and many landlords have declined to renew his leases. At its peak Chickeeduck had around 20 outlets across Hong Kong, but he says only five remain.

"Although Chickeeduck has experienced disturbance from the evil forces in the past 18 months, we have never given up on voicing out against injustice and will never consider backing off."

Chow is a good friend of Benny Tai (centre)

Chow was also defiant, saying he was not afraid of the national security law. "I do not think selling clothes is against national security."

Last year he displayed a protest statue in his store in D-Park shopping centre in Tsuen Wan, and the mall operator ordered Chow to remove it.

He did eventually, citing "political suppression", and added when his lease was up he would have to vacate the premises.

Chow made headlines again in May when national security police searched his Chickeeduck store in Tsuen Wan. Officers were responding to a complaint about an alleged breach of the national security law by displaying graffiti-style writing over the store's entrance reading, "Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times".

While the slogan was popular with protesters in 2019, a court ruled this year that the use of the term could incite others to commit secession, an offence under the security law.

Hong Kong a Powder Keg Waiting to Explode

The 2019 protests have led many to distrust the government

In Hong Kong, 2019 was the year of protests, but 2020 was the year of retribution.

That has led to young Hongkongers becoming more distrustful of the government, and researchers say this is not a good sign.

The Chinese University's School of Public Health and Primary Care interviewed 250 senior secondary school pupils last year, and 87 percent of them said they have no confidence in the administration. 

Around 70 percent of the respondents also said they don't trust strangers in the community. This may be because of the government setting up the hotline for people to anonymously report on others who may have violated the new national security law.

Young people are not valued in society

Terry Lum, head of the University of Hong Kong's Department of Social Work and Social Administration who also participated in the study, said Hong Kong is like a powder keg waiting to explode.

He believes the majority of Hongkongers do not trust the government, and the remaining minority either genuinely believe in the authorities, or pretend that they do.

Lum said the situation in the city is worse than the polarization in the United States, making the city very difficult to govern.

"We went through a lot of social movements in the last decade, for example the Occupy Central and the social unrest last year. But throughout the process, I don't think the government has done much to defuse the tension within the community," he said.

"If we don't defuse the bomb and remove the gunpowder, as long as there is a tiny seed of fire, then there will be another big explosion in the future. If we don't do something proactively, this really is an unresolvable problem."

This "bomb" Lum describes is what happened in 2019, and for him to say it could explode again is very concerning, but not surprising since Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-gnor and her administration have done little to resolve these issues in the last few years, and in particular this past year.

2014 Occupy Central protesters were not heard

He urged those in power to be broad-minded and be willing to apologize for mistakes they made, saying trust cannot be built if officials don't respect the views of others.

However, Lam isn't interested in hearing other people's opinions -- she hosted one town hall meeting last year that went badly -- and she is so reviled that no one wants to meet her anyway.

For the most part people are respecting the restrictions the government has put in place to fight the pandemic, but there are still loopholes which is infuriating for the public to discover, like a long list of people who were at first exempted from being quarantined, to dance clubs not being shut down in the fourth wave.

CUHK lead researcher Angel Lai also expressed concern over the findings, saying many young people don't trust the government because they feel that they don't have a say in policy-making.

"What we found is that those who have a chance or feel that they have a chance to participate in youth policy tends to say that they trust the government more," Lai said, adding young people wish to be treated as equals and be regarded as assets -- rather than problems -- in society.

Public calling for preservation of reservoir

"When we talk about political participation it might be something down the road when trust is built. So the first thing we need is participation in community work, in bringing good to the community first," she said.

Lai suggested the recent discovery of the Romanesque arches in an underground reservoir in Sham Shui Po may be a good opportunity for the government to better engage with the public.

Demolition of the century-old reservoir was halted earlier this week when people called for the place to be preserved after pictures of it on social media went viral.

Apparently the site had escaped the attention of government heritage advisors, but now they are looking into it, even though parts of it have already been taken down.

Nevertheless, getting back to the main crux of the problem of the chief executive taking the lead and trying to bridge the gap between the administration and the people... will Lam actually take this advice?

In a New Year's Day interview with Executive Councillor Bernard Chan, Lam hinted if there were fewer quarrels in society, then the government could do more for the people.

Lam says if no quarrels, government will do more

"Every time there are quarrels in society, in fact people pay a hefty price," she said. "That is why for 2021, my biggest hope is for society to have harmony. So that the SAR government, and other public bodies, have more room to do concrete things for Hong Kong."

What does she mean that? Is she implying if people are more obedient, more things will be done by the government? Or if people cooperate, then the government won't be as hard line? Shouldn't the government be doing things for the people anyway?

Her statement is very cryptic, but it demonstrates her belief that the quarrels start with the people, and not the government. Which infers she doesn't think she did anything wrong by proposing the extradition bill in 2019, which sparked the explosion of protests.

Perhaps she is keenly awaiting for the powder keg to set off again?

Beijing Accuses Tai of Challenging the State

Candidates out campaigning before the primaries

After the overwhelming turnout for the primaries this past weekend, Beijing has issued its strongest condemnation yet, accusing Benny Tai Yiu-ting of "illegally manipulating" the city's electoral system, challenging the new security law, and acting as a political agent for foreign forces.

It's quite a mouthful to be accused of.

Tai says Beijing's accusations are "absurd"

The election is not until September, and the primaries was for the pan-democratic camp to figure out who they wanted to run on the ballot.

But Beijing was infuriated by this past weekend's primaries and put all the blame on Tai.

The Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office issued a statement that said in part: "[We] strongly condemn the so-called 'primary election' organized by the opposition groups. The act is an unlawful manipulation of Hong Kong elections and a blatant challenge against the Basic Law and the national security law."

And the HKMAO pointed its finger directly at Tai: "Benny Tai was a key organizer of the 'unlawful' Occupy Central movement and an advocate of 'Hong Kong independence' and the scorched-earth mentality." the statement continued, accusing him of serving as a "political agent of foreign forces".

The statement also said the opposition's aim to have a majority in the Legislative Council amounts to overthrowing the government.

But that is not the intention of the pan-democrats. They want to hold the government accountable, and apparently Beijing considers that subversion.

Over 600,000 people participated in the primaries

Tai said the accusations were "nonsense, groundless and absurd". "It is absurd to allege this is subverting the state. Also, the allegation ignores the clear wording of the Basic Law," Tai said.

"I hope that the central government can see that 610,000 Hong Kong people have only used a peaceful and rational way to express their views through voting," he said. "If even they could be condemned as breaching the law, it will make governance even more difficult in the future and will provoke even more radical protests," he said.

Even those who did not do well in the primaries could still put their name on the ballot, he said, adding no one was being coerced.

The basic strategy is for the pan-democrats to try to win a majority in Legco so that they will have the upper hand in controlling the legislature. This could also force the chief executive to resign to resolve the deadlock and allow the public to vote again, as outlined in the Basic Law.

Cheung says democratic majority isn't subversion

University of Hong Kong principal law lecturer Eric Cheung Tat-ming said he could not see how lawmakers acting with a mandate and exercising their rights under the Basic Law could fall foul of the subversion offense under the national security law.

Also on Tuesday a spokesman for the Electoral Affairs Office said the primary was not part of the Legislative Council elections.

So now that it's settled that the primaries don't affect the upcoming election at all, perhaps the ball is back in Beijing's court?

Yellow Back in Force

Chan Kin-man waves to well wishers as he leaves Pik Uk prison in Sai Kung

Amid the crisis of the coronavirus spreading to over 100 countries in the world, at least there was a bit of good news on the political front in Hong Kong today.

Occupy co-founder Chan Kin-man was released on good behaviour after serving 11 months of his 16-month sentence for inciting and conspiring with others to cause substantial obstruction in 2014.

A crowd of well-wishers, including Benny Tai Yiu-ting, Reverend Chu Yiu-ming, Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun, former Civic Party leader Alan Leong Kah-kit, and Democratic party lawmaker Lam Cheuk-ting, waited for Chan, 61, to come out of Pik Uk Prison in Sai Kung at 9am.

Benny Tai (left) and Reverend Chu Yiu-ming flanked Chan

He rushed to his wife and they hugged before she gave him a bouquet of flowers. Chan then hugged Reverend Chu, who was suitably attired in a yellow sweater and wearing a yellow mask.

"I have been in jail for months, and time in jail must be hard. But I have no regrets because that's the price one has to pay for democracy," said Chan, adding he was happy to see his family and friends. They held a banner with Chinese calligraphy on it that read: "Noble spirits trot thousand mountains", that means with integrity, one could go a long way.

Interestingly the former sociology professor was holding a book by Alice Munro, Canadian and Nobel Prize-winning laureate in literature, whose short stories are set in small towns, and about the complexities life.

He believed the recent anti-government protests were a result of the 2014 disobedience movement, and accused the government of lacking openness, transparency and impartiality. Chan also said he was aware of young people becoming more radical over the past several months, but said the government was responsible for this.

Chan was jailed for his part in the 2014 Occupy movement

After Hong Kong has finished dealing with the coronavirus, protesters will be back on the streets again... will Chan & co be there actively participating or on the sidelines? Given how badly the economy has been battered by the protests and now the coronavirus, protesters may have new tactics on how to get their message across to the government.

The city can't afford to take much more of an economic hit, but at the same time it could be an opportune time to press the reset button in how Hong Kong's economy is run. Maybe protesters will take the lead?

79 Days

Last night protesters fought police around parts of Kowloon

Today is the 79th day of protests starting from June 9 when 1 million people came out to protest against the then proposed extradition bill.

That is the same number of days the Occupy Protests, or Umbrella Movement back in 2014.

Five years ago several main roads were shut down in Admiralty, Central, Causeway Bay and Mongkok for 79 days straight. Now it's every weekend and the odd weekday where traffic is temporarily suspended, the protesters constantly on the move all over the city.

Many have suffered health effects from too much tear gas

This evening two people who call themselves frontline protesters gave a press conference in Chinese and English so there was no mistaking their message.

One of them was a man, Mr Chan, who spoke in Cantonese and was translated by a Miss Wong. Both were covered up with a helmet, goggles and face mask and even gloves.

The man gave a bit of insight into what it's like to be a frontline protester. He talked about how paranoia set in when they discovered some black-clad people were actually undercover police.

There was one incident where he and his friend were accused of being spies and were beaten by some other protesters. But the matter was soon cleared up and both sides reconciled.

"We cannot deny that the pervasive neurosis of catching spies has sown distrust, and has to a certain extent, driven a wedge between not only frontliners, but between frontliners and other citizens. We do not want spy catching to become an epidemic. Frontline protesters are themselves citizens. And if citizens begin to fight among themselves, the anti-extradition movement will be over," Chan says in a prepared speech as Wong translated.

The protesters question why the police were not in Yuen Long

"Infighting between citizens has only produced one winner -- the politicians and the government," he continues. "Infighting between protesters will spell the death of the movement. Infighting between citizens will spell the death of Hong Kong itself. We cannot allow the Hong Kong and Chinese governments to succeed in their divide and conquer strategy."

He questions why the police did not infiltrate the triads when there were already early warnings something may happen in Yuen Long on July 21 and in Tsuen Wan North Point as well.

"Why are the police shooting at the heads of pro-democracy protesters with rifles yet readily seen sharing drinks with white-clad terrorists on park benches? The situation we find ourselves in is absurd," Chan says.

They say Carrie Lam ignored pleas to keep Queens Pier...

"The police and the government aren't even trying to hide their affinity with the triads. The collusion between them is both seamless and shameless. As a frontliner we are always at the front line of battle and always the last to bow out of them."

Chan went on to describe the effects of tear gas on his health. Despite washing his clothes and showering, he still smells or believe he smells tear gas, and suffers from diarrhea, dry mouth, sore throat and rashes on the skin.

These protesters do not think Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor is sincere at all, remembering she did not listen to the people when they protested in 2007 about the demolition of Queen's Pier to make way for Central reclamation, as well as "Wedding Card Street" in 2005 that has now become a luxury residential project in Wan Chai with shops and restaurants.

... and Wedding Card Street in Wan Chai

"These [Queen's Pier and Wedding Card Street] were both demolished behind Hongkongers' backs, causing irreparable damage, irreparable damage to Hong Kong's heritage. All but one of the student leaders in the 2014 Umbrella Revolution were imprisoned after accepting her offers for dialogue.

"Her government specializes in spreading white terror, whether it be through AI surveillance lamp posts, or police pretending to be protesters. But we will not allow to let this government to succeed in encouraging infighting, betrayal.. within ourselves. We hope Hongkongers will continue to stand up to our mistreatment by maintaining a unified and undivided voice."

One reporter asked Chan about his biggest concern. Other than admitting he was scared, Chan said the biggest problem he faced was his family, who he described as very "blue" or pro-police. They believe protesters are paid to go out to demonstrate, but even if he tries to explain this is false, they do not accept it so he would rather not talk about it at all.

Students debated the government during the 2014 protests

So these young people are very clear minded and do not trust Lam or Beijing at all. They believe her offers for dialogue are just a ruse after having seen what happened after the Occupy protests. They do not want to fall into the same trap.

These protesters are literally willing to die for their cause. A friend who is goes to most of the violent protests to monitor the young people says these young people are completely fearless.

Does Lam know what she is up against? It's been 79 days and these protesters are far from giving up.

Government Doles out Carrots... then the Sticks

Financial Secretary Paul Chan doles out sweetners, but hardly substantial

This afternoon Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po announced a raft of economic measures worth HK$19.1 billion (US$2.4 billion) in what he claims are meant to prepare for the possibility of a technical recession (two successive quarters of negative growth) in Hong Kong.

The relief package includes a reduction in the salaries tax, extra allowance for social security, old age, disability and working family allowance recipients, students from kindergarten to secondary school will get subsidies, and low-income tenants will get one month of free rent.

The announced sweetners won't benefit protesters much

Perhaps even more interesting is that Chan can't even bear to say the word "protests" and instead says "recent social incidents".

It's just as well Chan is talking in euphemisms because he can't even face the reality that Hong Kong is in the midst of 10 consecutive weeks of serious government discontent.

But sorry Mr Chan -- the protests aren't about the economy.

And if the government doesn't get that, or doesn't want to recognize that fact, then we continue to exist in parallel universes.

The one bright spot today was the release on bail of 2014 Occupy co-founder Benny Tai Yiu-ting.

Will Sunday's rally be as big as this congregation?

He was given a break from jail by the appeal court after serving three months in jail.

"I am very proud that I can stand with you all together at this very moment. So many people love Hong Kong so much. But, the road ahead is very unclear and very tough," Tai said outside the court.

"But I am still confident that Hong Kong's future is bright. The golden era of our city is yet to come. And I believe that time is not too far away."

Tai and another Occupy co-founder, sociologist Chan Kin-man were both sentenced to 16 months in jail after they were convicted for the unprecedented civil disobedience movement five years ago when several areas of Hong Kong were occupied for 79 days.

Benny Tai fresh out of jail earlier today

During his time in jail, Tai said he was particularly touched reading the news about the protesters who came into the Legislative Council at the last minute to collect their four die-hard comrades out before the police cleared the complex on July 1.

"I cried when I read the news," he said.

While there are several marches planned for this weekend, the police have again refused to give them the green light, restricting them to only rallies. In the case of a march that was planned from Victoria Park to Chater Garden, how is the park going to be able to hold so many people at once?

More frustration is just going to build...

Support for Protesters Continues

Chater Garden in Central was filled with people of all ages for a rally

My friend YTSL told me about a rally held by parents concerned about what has been happening regarding the anti-extradition law tonight at Chater Garden in Central. It started at 7pm and I arrived much later, but just in time to see everyone turning on the lights of their phones as they sang a song.

The entire Chater Garden was packed; the organizers, a group of local mothers, claimed 8,000 people showed up but it's hard to imagine that many people squeezed into such a small space. Nevertheless the turnout was very strong, with people of all ages there, some wearing black, some wearing white ribbons to remember those who had taken their lives because of the anti-extradition bill.

Rally speakers called on Carrie Lam to end her arrogance

Speeches by people urged the government, in particular Carrie Lam to stop her arrogance now and have an earnest dialogue with the protesters -- in other words everyone. They said their children's futures and the lives of children were at stake. And they did not want to see yet another young person take their life.

"As mothers, we do not wish to see the loss of yet another life, we choose to listen, we choose to understand. We have faith in our young people. Let us continue to walk with them," said Sealing Cheng, one of the organizers.

"To Carrie Lam and her government, please put aside your arrogance and have some respect for human life. Act now to address the demands of Hongkongers."

At one point, a man spoke on stage and asked: "Tung Chee-hwa said there are black hands pushing the youth. Who are they?"

Almost everyone raised their hands.

During the event, small slips of paper were handed out and it was a flyer advertising the Anti-Extradition Protest Trust.

People sat on the ground listening to speakers

It was founded last month on June 15 by former lawmakers Margaret Ng Ngoi-yee and Cyd Ho Sau-lan, artist Denise Ho Wan-see, and Lingnan University professor Hui Po-keung.

The trust's aim is to give support to those protesters who need medical, counselling or legal aid.  

Speaking of Denise Ho, she will go to Geneva on Monday and address the United Nations Human Rights Council, talking about her experiences of being part of the Occupy protests and the recent protests regarding the extradition bill.

"I am hoping to raise awareness to the critical situation in Hong Kong, where our fight for democracy has risen to a new level. We have been facing great difficulties, with excessive force used by the police, and our demands falling on deaf ears," she said.

By discussing the issue at the UNHRC, Ho hopes she can raise awareness about China's growing influence in both Hong Kong and around the world.

"This is an issue not solely concerning Hong Kong, but also the global community. With China widely interfering in the Hong Kong government's affairs, the UN needs to address these issues, and help Hong Kong regain its democratic rights. We need to condemn any country who is silencing people who are against their policies," she said.

"With students being in the front lines, since the 2014 Umbrella Movement until recent days, giving their everything to safeguard our city, I have seen great character from our young people and also from Hongkongers, and I shall be standing on their side as long as they are still fighting for hope and our home," Ho continued.

When Ho speaks next week, it will be a big embarrassment to both Carrie Lam and Xi Jinping, as the singer will explain how "one country, two systems" is not working in Hong Kong, and what happened during the protests that led to the storming of the Legislative Council on July 1.

Meanwhile another protest is planned for Sunday that starts at Salisbury Garden in Tsim Sha Tsui that goes all the way to West Kowloon station. It will definitely catch the attention of mainlanders shopping in the area and they will wonder what this is all about...!

Protesting into the Night

Thousands gathered at the police headquarters in Wan Chai tonight

Around 5.30pm a friend asked me if I would like to join her and her husband to listen to a concert of experimental music.

I replied that I had to do a civic duty -- visit the protests as I had missed all of them while I was away.

All day today I was watching news reports and a colleague said even by 6am there were some protesters who already arrived at the Legislative Council in Admiralty for their "picnic", and the crowd continued to grow throughout the day.

A poster of Carrie Lam at Pacific Place

As I watched the television coverage, it seemed very fluid -- crowds were moving to the police headquarters in Wan Chai, to Harcourt Road in Admiralty, to the Legislative Council and Pacific Place.

Seeing Harcourt Road covered with people again was a sight I never thought I would see again after the 2014 Occupy protests. I had assumed the Hong Kong government would never allow this to happen again, but it has.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor didn't respond to the four demands made by a group of student protesters by the deadline yesterday at 5pm, and since then she has been completely out of the picture, as well as the police, who were trying to be restrained following a barrage of criticism for their heavy-handedness in dealing with protesters last Wednesday.

As a result, the protesters were pretty much left to their own devices, and they chose to take the high road and be civil.

I didn't start taking part in my civic duties until around 7.30pm after finishing a quick dinner with a friend in Causeway Bay. I decided to take the bus over to Wan Chai, but when I got on, the driver said he was only going as far as Southern Playground.

People mourning the death of a man surnamed Leung

So after a few minutes' bus ride, we all got off and started walking towards the police headquarters in Wan Chai. Hennessy Road going eastbound was already blocked off, though vehicles could keep going westbound.

When I arrived, the atmosphere was calm, people standing around, some prepared with masks, goggles and umbrellas, some stared at their phones, others chatted with their friends. Some wore black T-shirts, others in office wear from being at work all day.

Periodically they shouted slogans like "Release them!", referring to some protesters who were arrested, or "Hongkongers add oil!", or they would periodically raise their middle finger at the police station.

At one point the police set up a video camera on an elevated walkway, and down below protesters gave sounds of loud disapproval. A few people were prepared and shone green laser lights at the cameraman or his video camera. Good to know those pointing lasers are also useful at protests.

"Pass them over!" someone shouted, and giant boxes of plastic wrap rolls were passed over through the crowd, while a box of small pizza was being passed the opposite direction to anyone who was hungry. Two young women came by with a white plastic bag, saying, "Garbage! Garbage!" in case anyone wanted to throw something away. Which other protest in the world has such systems in place?

Harcourt Road occupied five years after the Occupy protests

After a while I left the area, but not without taking a shot from the overhead pass and realized there were way more people on the onramp onto Harcourt Road. The police station was completely surrounded by protesters.

Then I walked across Queensway to Pacific Place and there were many people paying their respects to the man surnamed Leung, who fell to his death last week. Bouquets of flowers were placed in boxes, and there were hundreds of yellow Post-It notes plastered all over, telling the man that they would finish his wishes, that he rest in peace.

In the mall I had a quick bathroom break and then bought a small bottle of water at Great supermarket before heading to the Legislative Council at Tamar. By now there weren't that many people on Harcourt Road, but they were still occupying the roads. It was still 31 degrees outside and hot and humid. It's not easy conditions, but everyone out there was willing to be out there in the warm weather.

Finally I made it to the Legislative Council, and there were clusters of people discussing the controversy over the extradition bill through Christianity, or singing Hallelujah, or sitting around with their picnic blanket. It was a random group of people, but everyone seemed very civil and courteous.

What is Lam going to do next?

To blame the protesters for the roads being blocked and causing traffic disruptions is disingenuous. It is actually her administration that has not effectively thought through the consequences of this bill. She thought an apology was enough, and didn't make a pro-active gesture to engage with young people.

In the meantime it looks like tonight's protests will continue throughout the weekend, or until Lam makes the next move. For her sake, it better be the right one.

Hong Kong Security Chief Shows No Remorse

Security Chief John Lee would not resign over handling the June 12 protests

While Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor apologized yesterday but would not resign, Secretary for Security John Lee Ka-chiu also apologized for the government's mishandling of the extradition bill, and also refused to step down.

Members of the public were so angry at the police in how they fired 150 rounds of tear gas, twice as  much as was fired in the 2014 Occupy protests, and also used rubber bullets and beanbag rounds which shot at close range can result in serious injuries.

There were many cases of excessive police brutality

The antagonism towards the police has gotten so bad that some officers were identified online, their names and pictures circulated on the internet and on forums there were suggestions of finding out their family members and putting pressure on them.

Lee, who was a high-ranking police officer before joining the cabinet, acknowledged the public backlash and anxiety, but said any discontent with the government should not be directed at the police force.

"They were also treated violently [by protesters]... officers' lives were threatened," Lee said. He added police defense barriers were rushed by protesters, some of whom threw bricks and metal bars at officers after 3pm on Wednesday.

He says as a result the police had no choice but to use tear gas and rubber bullets to defend themselves.

The police force has also come under fire because officers from the Special Tactical Squad did not have their numbers displayed on their uniforms, making it difficult for anyone to lodge a complaint.

Lee claims the police officers had to defend themselves

At the Legislative Council, Lee explained the reason why these officers did not have numerical identification because there was not enough room on their uniforms.

Excuse me? Seriously?

What kind of an excuse is this?

It's just another indication of how out of touch the Lam administration and by extension the police force are and they seem to show no intention of trying to heal the rifts between them and the public.

Looks like plans for protests on Friday will probably go ahead...

Lam's Insincerity Shines Through

A pale-looking Carrie Lam personally apologizes to Hong Kong people

This afternoon was the main event -- Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor was going to apologize to the Hong Kong people.

Reporters noticed her lectern had boxes of tissues ready. Would she be really sincere and cry?

At 4pm she appeared in a cream-coloured suit in front of a light blue screen. Right off the bat she apologized for her short-comings and said she had heard the voices of the people.

But then for the rest of the 51 minutes, Lam refused to withdraw the extradition bill, refused to resign, and refused to hold an independent inquiry into allegations the police were too heavy handed when they clashed with protesters and the media on June 12.

She did say the bill was shelved as long as there were "conflicts in society", so does that mean forever? Or until her term is over?

Some 2 million people took over the streets on Sunday

Lam admitted she would have a difficult three years ahead in governing Hong Kong, though protesters outside the Legislative Council were unimpressed by her speech and booed.

Many people in Hong Kong feel she has lost the mandate to lead the city, as evidenced by the 2 million people who came out to protest two days ago. She totally mishandled the campaign to have the extradition law passed, and then refused to take responsibility for the excessive force the police used.

She only clarified that the protest march last Sunday was not considered a riot, echoing Police Commissioner Stephen Lo wai-chung's position as he yesterday backed down from his original declaration that the protesters were rioters. This came after there was an outcry when police began going into hospitals and arresting rioters, and even in dormitories on university campuses.

In total 32 people were arrested since last Wednesday.

There was no admission by Lam that the police's firing of 150 rounds of tear gas (87 were fired in the 2014 Occupy protests), "several" rounds of rubber bullets, and 20 bean bag shots that can easily injure someone was too much force against protesters who didn't have much protection let alone "weapons" to confront the police.

Protesters booed while Lam spoke in the press conference

So how can Lam say she has listened to the people and pledged to do a better job for the next three years when she has not acceded to any of the protesters' demands?

This was what was most disappointing to the 2 million people who flooded into the streets on Sunday. She really didn't listen to them. By extension, Beijing didn't listen to them.

But by the same token, Lam is between a rock and a hard place.

Even if she wanted to resign, Beijing may not let her. According to a Reuters report, a senior Hong Kong official close to Lam said [if she resigned] that would "create more problems than it solves, at all sorts of levels".

Hmmm let me guess? Because there is no one else suitable to take over this thankless job, though the best part is that the chief executive is paid more than the president of the United States?

Already before the press conference, Bloomberg was speculating who would be waiting in the wings. Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee is one candidate, so is former chief executive Leung Chun-ying, former CE candidate John Tsang Chun-wah, and even Jasper Tsang Yok-sing, the former Legco president.

Would you like any of these four to take over from Lam?

When Lam took questions from reporters, none of them asked her how she felt when the Chinese ambassador to the UK, Liu Xiaoming said last week that Beijing never instructed the Hong Kong government to pass the extradition bill.

"As a matter of fact, [the] Beijing central government gave no instruction, no order about making [the] amendment. This amendment was initiated by the Hong Kong government, it was prompted by a murder case in Taiwan," he told the BBC.

Talk about throwing Lam under the bus. China really wanted to be perceived to have any connection with the extradition bill, but why would she suddenly want to ram it through?

Regardless, the public will not stand for Lam to continue leading Hong Kong, which means there are going to be more protests in the coming days and weeks.

Hope Lam's ready for more images of people on the streets. They have had enough of the insincerity and lack of integrity.

Hong Kong's Last Stand

Thousands of people are gathered at Tamar in Admiralty, a repeat of 2014

There are dramatic scenes unfolding at the government headquarters at Tamar in Admiralty as we speak as thousands of protesters have gathered there and are clashing with police, who have retaliated with tear gas.

Some protesters have dug up bricks from sidewalks to literally build a wall for protection, others stole metal barricades to stop police from advancing. Many of them are wearing face masks, goggles, and protective gear as well as umbrellas to shelter from the rain but also the tear gas.

This feels like a repeat of 2014, and it's a sad state of affairs to see history repeating itself.

While the one good thing is that the debate on the extradition bill has been delayed until further notice, the police are having a difficult time breaking up the protesters and telling them to go home.

They won't listen because this is the last stand.

Hongkongers have not been given a say at all about the extradition bill and the government has made a serious miscalculation in trying to force the bill through instead of the proper due process.

A friend from New York emailed me, asking if there was any hope, and I replied there isn't, which is why Hongkongers are out on the streets, fighting to the bitter end.

Hongkongers Protest Extradition

Some 130,000 came out today to protest plans for controversial extradition bill

Heartened to see over 100,000 people turn out to protest against the Hong Kong government's plan to push through the extradition bill that would have suspects sent to countries the city had agreements with, including China, Taiwan and Macau.

Critics fear it gives Beijing more authority over Hong Kong, that it could target political activists, lead to forced confessions and arbitrary detentions, and if someone is extradited to the mainland, many of us know China's "rule of law" is different from what it is in Hong Kong and Taiwan.

This afternoon some 130,000 showed up -- the largest since the estimated 510,000 during the annual July 1 protest in 2014. The police claimed otherwise, saying 22,800 were in the march.

Many fear what the government has in mind for extradition

This is ridiculous from the pictures taken by the media, especially overhead. People who arrived late at Causeway Bay had to wait two hours before they could start the 2.2km march and the did so patiently.

The march was timed just before the sentencing of Chan Tong-kai, who brutally murdered his girlfriend in Taiwan last year, but because there is no extradition agreement between Hong Kong and Taiwan, he cannot be tried there.

The Hong Kong government used this horrific crime as an argument for the extradition bill and get the public on side, but today showed people thought otherwise.

Some who spoke to the media felt the government has become more like a dictatorship and not listening to the people, calling for Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor to step down, while others felt it was important to voice their opinion about the matter for the sake of their children's futures.

The march also protested the jailing of four Occupy leaders

Many of the protesters also carried yellow umbrellas, symbolic of the Occupy protest leaders who were sent to jail earlier this week: Benny Tai Yiu-ting, Dr Chan Kin-man, lawmaker Shiu Ka-chun and League of Social Democrats vice-chairman Raphael Wong Ho-ming.

It's disappointing to see acting chief executive Matthew Cheung Kin-chung dismiss today's protest march, basically saying the government would not be swayed by the turnout.

He said people enjoyed freedom of speech and assembly and the right to stage protests.

"But it has to be conducted in a lawful manner. Whether the turnout is big or small is not the main concern," he said.

A mock jailing with batons was acted out by at the march

Cheung dismissed concerns about the possible abuse of the proposed extradition bill, saying it would not apply to cases involving human rights, politics or capital punishment.

The government has promised it would consider each case carefully, saying the executive authority and the court would perform their respective gatekeeping roles in handling all surrender requests. It said it would reject any surrender request that did not meet legal requirements.

May we remind the government how Beijing punished dissident artist Ai Weiwei, claiming he did not pay his taxes? And then felt it had the right to just destroy his studio in Bejiing without warning?

And the same could be said for Liu Xia, the wife of Liu Xiaobo; her brother was convicted on trumped up charges of fraud and sentenced to 11 years in jail and was later released.

How can we trust the Hong Kong government will not do the same?

Four of Nine Occupy Leaders Jailed

Dr Chan Kin Man (left) and Benny Tai (centre) were jailed for 16 months

Today nine people who were found guilty on public nuisance charges related to the 2014 Occupy protests found out their fate.

In the end four of them were sent to jail -- two of the founders of "Occupy Love and Peace", Benny Tai Yiu-ting, and Dr Chan Kin-man were both sentenced to 16 months, while legislator Shiu Ka-chun, and League of Social Democrats vice-chairman Raphael Wong Ho-ming were handed eight-month sentences.

The judge, Johnny Chan Jong-herng considered Reverend Chu Yiu-ming's poor health and had his 16-month sentence suspended for two years.

Tanya Chan revealed she a brain tumour diagnosis

Then lawmaker Tanya Chan Suk-chong's lawyer revealed shocking news in the court, that his client was suffering from a life-threatening brain tumour the size of a ping pong ball and needed to undergo surgery in two weeks. As a result then judge adjourned her sentence.

And former lawmaker Lee Wing-tat had his eight-month sentence suspended for two years as the judge considered his years of public service.

Meanwhile former student leaders Tommy Cheung Sau-yin and Eason Chung Yiu-wa, were sentenced to 200 hours of community service, and eight months' of jail respectively, but Chung also had his jail sentence suspended, with their ages (25 and 26 respectively) taken into consideration.

Although the judge criticized the nine for putting their political demands before the lives of others, he also noted the protests were non-violent, and the goal was not motivated by "greed, lust, anger, or monetary reward", though the obstruction was serious and its duration extensive.

Reverend Chu Yiu-ming wept as he left court

"The nine defendants just looked up to their aspirations... but they failed to notice the ordinary folks who needed to use the carriageways," the judge said, describing their would-be "martyrdom" as "contorted".

He added the group never apologized to the public for causing such an inconvenience for 79 days.

After he walked out of the dock, Chu burst into tears without his friends, Tai and Chan.

 "In the past five years, we have never been apart," the reverend said, before leaving court. "Today, they were sentenced to jail. I'm in immense sorrow. I am truly willing to go with them."

The relatively light sentences show the judge felt the defendants were honest about their motivations, though he said they were "naive".

The unforgettable protest in 2014 that lasted 79 days

This was a relief, because if the sentences had been harsh, tensions would have continued to rise. Can we finally move forward? That depends on Carrie Lam administration -- or shall we say Beijing? This case has dragged on too long and today it has finally ended.

It's a sad day for the fight for democracy in Hong Kong, though some might say it's just a blip in the long term...

Nine Convictions in the Umbrella Movement

These nine were convicted for their role in the Umbrella Movement in 2014

 

The big news today was the conviction of nine pro democracy activists for their part in the Umbrella Movement that began on September 28, 2014 and lasted for 79 days. Now they could face jail terms of up to seven years.

Judge Johnny Chan Jong-herng said the founders of the Occupy movement -- Benny Tai Yiu-ting, Dr Chan Kin-man, and Reverend Chu Yiu-ming were "naive" to suggest that by encouraging people to block roads they could force the government to bow to their political demands, mainly to have universal suffrage in being able to vote for Hong Kong's chief executive.

Supporters today continued the yellow umbrella tradition

Beijing had quashed this idea and instead suggested people could vote for vetted pro-China candidates.

Judge Chan also said that while Hong Kong recognized civil disobedience, it could not be used as a defense for a criminal act -- that is causing public nuisance.

Prosecutors successfully argued that the nine caused obstructions by mobilizing people to block main thoroughfares in Admiralty, Central, parts of Causeway Bay and Mongkok.

The other six who were convicted were legislators Tanya Chan and Shiu Ka-chun, former student leaders Tommy Cheung Sau-yin and Eason Chung Yiu-wa, League of Social Democrats vice-chairman Raphael Wong Ho-ming, and former Democratic Party lawmaker Lee Wing-tat.

Tear gas in Admiralty sparked the Occupy movement

It is worth noting at this point that the last time the charge of public nuisance was applied was in 2001when Alain Robert, the French "Spiderman" climbed up the Hang Seng Bank headquarters wiht his bare hands.

He was charged with causing public nuisance and was originally sentenced to 21 days in prison, but later reduced to a suspended sentence on appeal.

Defense lawyers in this 18-day trial had argued that their clients were being prosecuted on vague charges that carried a harsher sentence than for unlawful assembly, which is a typical charge for protestors.

But Chan rejected the charge would have a "chilling effect" on freedom of expression as the lawyers had argued.

The Occupy Movement occupied Admiralty for 79 days

Reaction to the convictions was swift. Hong Kong's former last governor Chris Patten condemned the verdict, calling the prosecution "vengeful".

"At a time when most people would have thought that the aim of the Hong Kong government should be to bring the whole community together it seems appallingly divisive to use anachronistic common-law charges in a vengeful pursuit of political events which took place in 2014," he said.

The nine are currently out on bail and mitigation hearings continue tomorrow.

It is sad but not surprising the verdict would turn out like this. Prosecutors were keen to nail the pro-democracy activists with harsh sentences so that no one will dare to try to initiate something on this scale ever again.

Nathan Law won a seat in Legco, only to be disqualified later

So much has happened and changed in Hong Kong since 2014 -- awakening people's political rights, record turnouts in legislative council elections in 2016, and then disqualifying newly elected lawmakers for altering their oaths when they were being sworn into office, and now candidates have to agree that Hong Kong is an "inalienable part" of China.

The appetite to go out on the streets again has waned considerably and now participating in protests means wearing face masks to avoid identification on police video cameras.

Passing through Admiralty on the freeway it's incredible that the place was completely shut down and the friendly camaraderie was unforgettable.

The Umbrella Movement will never happen again at this rate, and will just be a memory for many of us.