Thai-American Artist on Hong Kong

Rirkrit Tiranvaija's latest work at Art Basel

Art Basel has come and gone in Hong Kong, and it was good to have it finally held after it was cancelled last year because of the pandemic, albeit in a hybrid format with some physical booths showing art work set up at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, while galleries from overseas had online viewing rooms.

Admittedly I did not go to this year's fair, but did go on the website to look at some of the works on show.

One artist whose work I continue to follow is Thai-American artist Rirkrit Tiravanija. A few years ago he did a piece in 2016 titled "Freedom Cannot Be Simulated", the words written in black and red on the Hong Kong English-language newspaper, the South China Morning Post.

Under the blue vinyl is a message on newsprint

He has done this on a few other newspapers around the world. Tiravanija requests a specific back-dated copy of the newspaper and then paints a slogan on it.

Other slogans he has painted include "Same But Not Equal", "Fear Eats The Soul", and "The Days Of This Society is Numbered".

One of his latest works on show by the gallery neugerriemschneider in Berlin. Named "untitled 2018 (this revolution will not be televised, South China Morning Post, July 2, 2014).

It features a blue vinyl cloth, and when the viewer lifts it up, the newspaper is revealed to have the words "This Revolution Will Not Be Televised" in large white letters. 

Based on the July 1, 2014 protest march coverage

What was happening at that time? On June 10, 2014, the State Council in Beijing issued a white paper called "The Practice of the 'One Country, Two Systems' Policy in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

It claimed "comprehensive jurisdiction" over the city, saying: "The high degree of autonomy of the HKSAR is not full autonomy, nor a centralized power. It is the power to run local affairs as authorized by the central leadership".

This was the first Hongkongers had heard of this, having believed China would not interfere with Hong Kong affairs for 50 years until 2047, but now it looked like Beijing would have more of a say on how the city would be governed.

That led to a massive march on the annual July 1 protest, with organizers claiming over 500,000 people came out to show their discontent. Reports about the protest march, which included some 500 arrests, were covered in the newspaper the following day, and that is the edition Tiravanija has chosen to paint "This Revolution Will Not Be Televised".

Tiravanija's 2016 piece using the SCMP

On September 26, 2014, the streets were occupied in what was later known as the Umbrella Revolution or Umbrella Movement that paralyzed parts of Hong Kong for 79 days.

That later led to Tiravanija making "Freedom Cannot Be Simulated", using pages from the South China Morning Post from September 26-30, 2014.

To have an internationally known artist capture these moments happening in Hong Kong is fascinating, and proves the world is watching... 

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.

Lenient Sentences for Trio

Joshua Wong, Nathan Law and Alex Chow speak outside the court

Today Joshua Wong Chi-fung, Nathan Law Kwun-chung and Alex Chow Yong-kang can thank their lucky stars today, escaping serious jail time after being convicted for their actions in storming Civic Square in the Hong Kong government headquarters on September 26, 2014, which two days later sparked the Umbrella Movement that lasted 79 days.

The trio were prepared for the worst, as their crimes, unlawful assembly and inciting others to join in unlawful assembly carried the maximum penalty of HK$5,000 and three years in jail.

Wong was handed 80 hours of community service for unlawful assembly, while Law received a sentence of 120 hours of community service for inciting others to join in unlawful assembly.

The three were part of the group that stormed Civic Square

However, Chow was sentenced to three weeks in jail suspended for a years so that he could study his Masters in the UK.

The community service sentence was a relief to Law, who is running for a seat in next month's Legislative Council elections. If he had to go to jail, that could have disqualified him from being a candidate.

It seems Magistrate June Cheung Tin-ngan considered the motives and intentions behind the offence because the case was atypical from other criminal cases. She described the three activists as passionate and genuinely believing in their political ideals.

"If their actions did not originate from personal gain or intent to harm others, the court should not only consider their actions and the consequences, but also try to understand the motivations behind their offence by adopting a more lenient and understanding attitude," she said.

Cheung added a deterrent sentence would not be fair as their actions were relatively moderate compared to political events after the storming.

Two days later the police fired teargas at protesters

"The three defendants' actions were undoubtedly reckless, but they were not very violent nor intentional in harming security guards or police officers," she continued. "They only wanted to enter the east wing forecourt, the Civic Square with a historical and symbolic meaning that they genuinely believe in, to form a circle and chant slogans."

Outside the court, Chow said he found the ruling powerful and that it was a wake-up call for those in power and an important warning to the community that one must consider the motives and political stances behind Hong Kong's different voices.

On Twitter, Wong said: "I was given 80 hours of community service for unlawful assembly. I will not regret for [sic] my commitment in the Umbrella Movement."

Localists and pan-democrats must be relieved the three weren't severely punished, and perhaps the sentences demonstrate the authorities may have gone overboard in arresting anyone they thought was related to the Umbrella Movement in the hopes of jailing as many of them as possible as a lesson.

It'll be interesting to see how these sentences will affect the Demosisto vote on September 4 and if their support grows or wanes.

Art Basel Wrap

One of Kyungah Ham's pieces for Chandeliers for Five Cities

This year's Art Basel seemed to be very much business oriented, though the art displayed seemed to be very colourful. Perhaps the kaleidoscope of colours was a subliminal sign to buyers that despite the gloomy economy, art can cheer you up.

A detail of one of the chandeliers embroidered on silk

The art fair had the same number of exhibitors -- 239 -- though the number of large pieces, called Encounter pieces decreased from 21 to 16. In a way this gave the galleries more room to show their work, and allow visitors more breathing space between stalls.

I didn't go through every single row and gallery this year, but some pieces were favourites.

South Korean artist Kyungah Ham's Chandeliers for Five Cities were entrancing. From a distance they look like photographs of chandeliers, some in motion. But when you look closer, the works have been embroidered.

It turns out Ham wondered how she could get in touch with people in North Korea and somehow managed to smuggle materials and her designs across the border, have them made (each in four pieces) and then smuggled back to South Korea where she put them together.

Vic Muniz's collage of the Golden Gate Bridge

The handiwork is amazing and some wonder if the workers who did the pieces were exploited or not. The work seems to make a statement about excess and wealth, but also the stark black backgrounds seem to show opulence isolated.

Nevertheless, the effect of the embroidery on silk canvas is stunning and amazing, a testament to Ham's determination (she could get into trouble for doing this), and the workers who made these five pieces.

Another favourite is Vic Muniz's Postcards from Nowhere: Golden Gate Bridge at Ben Brown Fine Arts. I prefer his earlier works, when he painstakingly made collages recreating famous works of art, or using unusual mediums like chocolate syrup to make his drawings/paintings.

These days he blows up pictures of postcards to give a representation of a place. Last year it was China -- Beijing and Shanghai, and this piece done last year is of San Francisco.

The SCMP was used to make a political statement!

His works are colourful and creative, sure to liven up anyone's day and one could spend hours examining his works closely.

Then at neugerrieum-schneider, Thai-American artist Rirkrit Tiravanija has an untitled work, but on it in bold letters it says, "Freedom Cannot Be Simulated". The slogan is painted on copies of the South China Morning Post dated between September 26-30, 2014, when the Umbrella Movement began and later resulted in the 79-day occupation of parts of Hong Kong.

Tiravanija has done similar works on other newspapers before too, so he is known for making strong statements. Here he is paying tribute to the students and young people who initiated the movement.

Tatsuo Miyajima (right) with HK artist Samson Young

When you put all these pieces of information together, it makes the work even more poignant. Early on there were extra large white T-shirts with the slogan "Freedom Cannot Be Simulated" on it that were left on two large piles by the piece.

Now there are many people with these T-shirts -- the perfect top for the July 1 protest march...

Finally I had a chance to listen to Japanese artist Tatsuo Miyajima who created a light installation on ICC building. Entitled Time Waterfall, one could see numbers falling on the facade of the skyscraper, digital numbers changing from nine to one.

He explained that it was counting down to death, with zero being death, but that number is not shown. Miyajima wanted viewers to contemplate life and death, and living in the now.

Time Waterfall last night from the ferry pier

In the past few days I've been watching the installation, and am mesmerized as I see the numbers fall. Some drop slowly like leaves, slowly winding their way down, others plunge down; some are very large numbers, others much smaller. It really does make you think about the cycle of life, how life is short and how we should live with meaning.

Picture of the Day: Artistic Umbrella

A fantastic drawing of the protests -- in the shape of an umbrella!

My friend YTSL showed me a picture she took of an amazing black and white drawing shaped like an umbrella and inside it was an artistic recording of the many incidents that have happened in over seven weeks.

Entitled Umbrella Revolution, there's the Time magazine image of the man holding two umbrellas, Lion Rock, Umbrella Man, the bus in Mongkok that was covered in messages, numerous tents, Chinese President Xi Jinping holding an umbrella (three times) -- and even Jesus, and Hong Kong Police spokesman Steve Hui Chun-tak, who gives police briefings at 4pm with a clock drawn behind him. Musician Kenny G couldn't not escape this artist's satirical hand, drawn with a sign that says "I [heart] RMB".

Similar in style to this Northern Song Dynasty painting?

There's also a study corner, protesters and police clashing in Mongkok, and the umbrella is outlined with barricades and traffic cones.

I can't help but think this is the 2014 version of the famous Along the River during the Qingming Festival from the Northern Song Dynasty. The scene depicts people crossing the bridge as well as people on boats, depicting everyday life.

A case of art imitating art -- minus the satire?

Continuing the Protest

A "tank" created by an artist using water bottles and a tent

Today is Day 36 of the Umbrella Movement and YTSL and another friend and I hung out in Admiralty for a few hours in the afternoon. The weather was perfect and lots of people were there.

A drawing of Lion Rock on a tent complete with banner

Every time we go there's new things springing up especially when it comes to art. This week it's images of Lion Rock that have inspired people these few days and even Totoro carries an umbrella with a silhouette of the mountain where a group of climbers had unfurled a yellow banner that said, "I want true democracy".

At one tent, a woman was handing out the paper version of the banner that was printed by Apple Daily. And at another stand there were mini ones passers-by could take and they even had tape at the back for people to stick on their foreheads to take pictures...

Some faces of the Umbrella Movement

We were very impressed by one artist who used a long roll of white paper and drew quick but realistic portraits of ordinary people willing to pose for him. Entitled "The Faces of Our Umbrella Movement 2014", there are all kinds of people there, young old, men and women. He was recording their presence there and already several people were lining up waiting for him to come back.

YTSL and I noticed there were even more tents than before -- there seemed to be additional ones posted towards the Wan Chai side which made us wonder if there really were more people literally occupying the streets.

There were some tents though that had signs that said the occupant was now back at work and would be back soon. Others really were there for the long term, hanging out in their tents, reading or chatting with friends.

There seems to be a growing number of tents in the area

As we sat at our usual spot on the flyover by the PLA barracks, we saw many people walking to and from Central, some were definitely tourists, others seemed to have a look of wonder -- were they just visiting for the first time?

After all this time?

Think Tanked-Out

A new think tank to help Hong Kong thanks to Tung Chee-hwa

In 2000 then former Legislative Councillor Christine Loh Kung-wai left politics and set up Civic Exchange, a think tank that focuses on public policy with regards to social development, the environment and economic analysis.

Then in April 2013, former Chief Secretary Anson Chan Fong On-sang set up Hong Kong 2020 to monitor constitutional reform progress to achieve universal suffrage to vote for the chief executive by 2017, and all members of the Legislative Council by 2020.

And now earlier this week former Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa set up Our Hong Kong Foundation to improve Hong Kong's standing in the Happy Planet Index, conduct research to improve people's lives, and provide facilities for new leisure activities.

Allan Zeman is part of Our Hong Kong Foundation

Tung is particularly concerned about the Umbrella Movement protests and yesterday gathered over 70 directors for a two-hour meeting.

While we know Grandpa Tung has good intentions, can we point out a few of the people attached to this foundation?

They are: former financial secretary Antony Leung Kam-chung, former Monetary Authority chief executive Joseph Yam Chi-kwong, Shun Tak managing director Pansy Ho Chiu-king, former Ocean Park CEO Allan Zeman and former chief justice Ti-Liang Yang.

The only person with a democratic background is Tik Chi-yuen.

Can we just stop here and observe that most of these people are tycoons and are certainly looking out for their own interests and not necessarily concerned about seriously engaging the protesters, most of whom are students.

Irons Sze says there should be more talks with young people

Leung remarked he was concerned about Hong Kong's economy if the protests continue to drag on. "I am worried it will also seriously affect the rule of law, which is a core value for the city's role as a financial centre," he said.

This is coming from the senior official who bought a luxury car shortly before announcing a proposal to sharply increase taxes on new cars...

And then Zeman mustered up this comment: "The most important thing is that we find the way that we can have harmony with the students and everyone can get back to the way Hong Kong was."

Zeman used to read trends and people well, but now he's completely lost touch with this statement. After these protests, Hong Kong will never be the same again. People have been greatly affected by the movement that was sparked by the police unleashing tear gas 87 times and resulted in the continued occupation of Causeway Bay, Admiralty and Mongkok. They have seen people's passion in their sacrifices in the hopes for universal suffrage.

How can he even begin to assume Hong Kong can be back to what it was before? That's what people don't want! They are trying to change things for the better.

So Tung's cozy club of some 70 people sounds very similar to those who visited Beijing over a month ago -- the uber rich who live in their own bubble. Irons Sze Wing-wai says it best. As Chinese Manufacturers' Association president, he suggested perhaps the think tank could work on improving communication with young people...

We wonder what that will entail...

Trying to Force the Issue

Federation of Students' Alex Chow says they are mulling their next steps

The student leaders are trying very hard to resolve the impasse between them and the government, but no one seems to be listening/seems to want to work at it/seems to care.

Earlier the students talked to the pan-Democrats about resigning en masse to trigger a re-election as a kind of referendum, but it seems like that proposal went no where.

And there doesn't seem to be much appetite on either side for another round of talks.

There was also a letter sent to Premier Li Keqiang to meet with the students. Probably not something he would probably entertain...

Now the students are mulling going to Beijing next week and creating attention to their cause during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation.

Alex Chow Yong-kang, secretary general of the Hong Kong Federation of Students said the idea was suggested by Occupy protesters, but he admitted they still had to sort out a back up plan in case they were not allowed into the Chinese capital.

"If the representation can enter Beijing successfully, of course we would want to have a dialogue with officials on universal suffrage," he said. "If Beijing officials value the opinion of Hong Kong people, I believe they will talk to students."

We're afraid the buck stops here.

Who in Beijing will actually speak to the students?

In state media they have already been branded as outlaws doing illegal things, so which official would even want to be associated with them in any way?

The students really need a Zhao Ziyang character, but these days with Chinese President Xi Jinping consolidating his power and having little patience for negotiation, particularly with teenagers, who would even dare to take up their request?

Their chances of even being allowed to enter the mainland are probably very slim -- their names are probably on a blacklist already. The students are foolish to think they can very easily enter China and do what they want like they have in Hong Kong.

China is another beast altogether.

We appreciate the students trying very hard to resolve the situation, but this is beyond their control.

They are right to seek the cooperation of the pan-Democrats to push through politically, but there's a lot of disappointment this group of politicians hasn't done nearly enough to take advantage of the momentum to push forward in a multi-pronged approach.

It feels like the Umbrella Movement is losing its steam, with less coverage in the media and fewer people coming out to the protest sites.

We're just concerned the students need to really calculate their moves because a publicity stunt in Beijing isn't going to be very productive -- in fact if they do get in and do something, there is a chance we may never hear from them again...

Trying to Clear the Air

Perhaps Jasper Tsang is finally talking some sense following CY Leung?

Is Jasper Tsang Yok-sing the next to go after James Tien Pei-chun?

The Legislative Council President and pro-establishment lawmaker says there aren't any "foreign forces" influencing the Umbrella Movement. "I can't see it happening," he said in an interview with Cable TV.

"Unless you treat foreign diplomats expressing concerns as an intervention by external forces. I think their concerns, raised objectively, were not intended to influence, dominate or instigate any side," he said.

Earlier this month Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying claimed "external forces" influenced the mass protests and occupation of streets in Hong Kong, but he refused to identify them, only saying he would reveal them later.

One newspaper cartoonist drew the suggestion it was Mary Poppins.

Others said it was Jesus, Che Guevara and Bob Marley, with photographic evidence of their images at the protest sites.

So will Tsang be punished for his comments, claiming there are no external forces involved in the Umbrella Movement because he's not following the same narrative as Leung?

The drama continues.

Keeping the Passion Alive

Looking at the Admiralty protest site towards Central

This evening I took a friend around who just came back after a month-long trip and completely missed the entire first four weeks of Occupy. We walked off our dinner by walking from Central to Admiralty and so she was able to see the protest site from the flyover and then get into the thick of things.

The protest encapsulated in a cartoon

She had read up on what was going on while she was away, but hadn't actually experienced it which adds another dimension to understanding and absorbing what is going on. My friend was very impressed by how creative people were, and the willingness of people to camp out for so long.

We walked up and down the steps along Lennon Wall and she contributed a message, whereas I think mine from four weeks ago was washed out by the rain! Since then they have put plastic covers over the ones on the outer edge.

Then we saw a group of foreigners standing by the gate where Civic Square is and a Chinese woman speaking English explained to them the chronology of events. Has this now officially become a guided tourist site?

Near the Legislative Council entrance is a shell-shaped area, a public space, and tonight on the cement wall they were projecting short films people had made about the Umbrella Movement. They were quite funny and satirical.

Colourful origami mobile with an umbrella!

In one a guy pretends to be a reporter checking out the Umbrella Movement scene. He points to big yellow umbrellas and wonders if these are the missiles the police were warning the public about...

Another featured a slide show of the supposed bromance between Federation of Students' Alex Chow and Lester Shum and singing in the background is Denise Ho with her song called Louie & Lawrence about two guys in love... quite amusing really, when juxtaposed with the two student leaders' pictures of them giving speeches, arms around each others' shoulders...

Here are the lyrics:

Louie and Lawrence were both good-looking boys

Louie was the popular one,
while Lawrence only loved reading
They were, however, inseparable
always wearing those innocent white shirts
This romance began in proximity

yet they did not dare let their guards down

Outdoor cinema right by the Legislative Council

To be as friends, there's more of less love involved
But to become brothers, and to love as such,
Bystanders would certainly not accept them

If they were to hug, even by accident,

one of them would surely shy away
However enjoyable that might be,
they're afraid to admit
Even if they avoided making eye contact
Deep down they'd know love was involved

A boy and a boy, how could they be that close?

Louie couldn't deal with it,
but he did promise her Lawrence was just as infatuated
Until she finally took a leap

Images of Alex Chow (left) and Lester Shum (right)

Their eyes met as she took off her blouse
It was only then did Louie realize

he had never thought of his close friend as a girl

To be as friends, there's more or less love involved

But to become brothers, and to love as such,
Bystanders will certainly not accept them

Why does true love always end on a sad note?
He is truly surprised, as he thinks about the past
of how they used to shop, study and stare at the sea

They're practically lovers, as the cards finally did reveal

Why be afraid, if you feel that this is love?

Why calculate who he is and wonder if it adds up in the end?

Which bystander will accept love as such?

Perfectly compatible but against all odds, just let it go
To be in denial and not come out
The world will then never change
As there will only be more tragedies as such
Or do you prefer to love like the Butterfly Lovers?

Keeping Up Morale

A Lego dramatization of the Umbrella Movement on show at Admiralty

A referendum was supposed to take place tonight at Admiralty to gage what protesters thought should be the next plan of action.

But it was called off hours before it was due to start, mainly because protesters had different views about how to move forward and felt the poll would not achieve much.

Have your portrait taken at the site with an "umbrella"

"The public may feel that there are problems with the movement's organization and leadership, and we admit that... I promise that in the future, we will have sufficient notification and discussion with protesters, before making a major, formal decision, said Occupy co-founder Benny Tai Yiu-ting.

Federation of Students' Alex Chow Yong-kang said some protesters felt there was no need for a vote because them occupying the streets proved they supported the issues in the referendum.

It's an embarrassing gaffe for the Occupy/Umbrella Movement, but tonight there was a strong turnout in Admiralty.

There was a mini concert held, a guy with a guitar sang a few songs followed by speeches by others to fire up the crowd, marking Day 29.

A yellow umbrella mobile hanging by the escalator

The newest thing now is to take a portrait at the protest site and with the camera shutter open for a long exposure, a guy with a yellow light "draws" between two people to make it look like they are holding an umbrella.

We also saw a young woman using a whiteboard marker drawing on the hood of her convertible -- how did she drive it in there? She wrote "I love students" complete with a drawing of an umbrella and lion with the banner "I want true democracy", referring to the Lion Rock banner stunt. She invited two kids to write "add oil" in Chinese.

There wasn't any hard feelings about not having the vote -- it was probably for the best.

However this weekend Robert Chow Yung's group was out in force, collecting signatures to support the police, an indirect pro-Beijing reference. They were in every neighbourhood including mine soliciting signatures, though I heard even children's autographs were accepted, which may explain why they had some 300,000 on the first day.

A woman draws on the hood of her car

This numbers game just creates a greater divide between people instead of trying to inch closer to some kind of consensus...

But it got really ugly in Tsim Sha Tsui last night, when some anti-Occupy supporters had scuffled with journalists, when a RTHK reporter was dragged to the ground, and a TVB reporter and two TVB cameramen were injured.

And people try to claim Umbrella Movement protesters are inciting violence?

Re-Balancing the Economy

Protesters making lots of stools and picnic tables in Admiralty last night

Before Occupy Central was supposed to take place, Financial Secretary John Tsang Chun-wah warned it would cause serious damage to Hong Kong as an international financial centre, and how it would burnish the city's reputation.

Twenty-eight days later and Tsang has had to admit Hong Kong's economic situation and financial markets have remained stable -- and in fact the stock market beat every other developed market in the world this month.

While some sectors have been hit badly, such as transport, food and beverage, retail and tourism, a few landlords in Causeway Bay and Central have been more forgiving lately and lowered rents, some as much as 40 percent.

Drawing cartoon portraits for people

And most of the retail that's been hit are the high-end luxury brands that the vast majority of us -- as Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying has pointed out this week -- can't afford -- so it doesn't affect us much really.

Tsang also said a few days ago that credit-card spending had plunged in major shopping areas like Causeway Bay. He did not give figures, but said the government was watching closely and again urged the protesters to leave the area.

Is the usage of credit cards another of his indications of those in the middle class, along with drinking coffee and watching French movies?

He did not indicate that perhaps more people were using cash in these areas instead, or that perhaps they aren't buying designer handbags, and eating foie gras, but purchasing camping gear and hardware supplies instead?

Can we add here the protesters are not entirely selfish -- In Causeway Bay there is a large map that protesters have drawn that encourages others to patronize local shops in the area so that they aren't hit too hard by the occupation.

So other than the cleaner air, community atmosphere and more face-to-face dialogue between people, can we also say the Umbrella Movement has actually helped re-balance the local economy?

The Occupy Saga Continues

The Federation of Students who debated government officials last night

Today everyone was still talking about the debate between the students and government officials last night. Many remarked how good the students were. Can we put this into perspective? What were you doing when you were 18 years old? Since when have you seen teenagers debate adults more than twice their age with intelligence and passion?

It dawned on me this evening that no one knew the debate would happen after 25 days of occupying the three protest sites. Who knew the protests would last this long? Everyday has brought with it a roller coaster ride of drama and we haven't had time to even catch our breath.

Today there were more developments. It took more than 24 hours for locals to pick up on Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying's comments to foreign media that if candidates were nominated by the public then the poor would dominate the electoral process. He claimed that meant more than half the population made less than $1,800 (HK$13,964) per month would dominate the political agenda...

A truck collects stuff used to create barricades in Mongkok

Despite the delay, poverty groups quickly organized and about 100 people marched to Government House where Leung resides to protest his remarks. They didn't even apply for a protest march license, but the police let them make their way there anyway. One police officer even helped push a wheelchair up the hill.

And then this afternoon the Taxi Drivers and Operators Association tried to execute its court injunction in Mongkok, reading out the legal letter and then began to take down the barricades and removing the materials with a large truck with a crane.

However, as protesters tried to stop them, scuffles ensued, and police had to get in between the two parties and hold each other back. Eventually the taxi group retreated and said it would have a rethink about how it would take back the street legally.

But this evening things got ugly when someone threw three glass bottles of paint thinner at protesters standing near the supply station, and then tried to set fire to the supplies but was stopped in time. Then there were four bags of a mixture of faeces and oil thrown at protesters from a nearby building. Will police investigate?

One of the many civil sservant ID cards photographed

Other drama includes the revelation that there is a Facebook page that was only set up on Monday for civil servants who support the Umbrella Movement. Called "Civil Servants Support Umbrella", there were about 1,500 signatures to counter another group called Government Employees Association and Hong Kong Civil Servants General Union who denounced the movement.

There are many photographs on the Facebook page showing people's staff cards showing titles, but blocking out the names. They come from various departments including the judiciary and police...

But finally -- the biggest news of all was that jazz saxophonist Kenny G is in Hong Kong and he was photographed visiting the protest site at Admiralty. On his Twitter account there was a picture of him with the words: "In Hong Kong at the sight [sic] of the demonstration. I wish everyone a peaceful and positive conclusion to this situation".

Immediately there was speculation -- as Kenny G is a very popular musician in China -- would be allowed back into the mainland to perform.

Kenny G gives the protest his blessing

This afternoon Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying was asked to comment on his appearance at Admiralty.

"I think Kenny G's music is popular in China, though regarding the illegal protest in hong Kong, the Chinese government has a clear position. We think that is an illegal campaign," Hua said.

"We support the government of Hong Kong to handle it in accordance with the law to maintain stability in Hong Kong. Thus we hope all foreign countries and individuals could be discreet in words and deeds and not support the illegal protest in any forms," she said.

Maybe Kenny G was the "foreign force" Chief Executive Leung was referring to a few days ago?

The Students vs The Government

Some 2,000 people gathered in Admiralty to watch the live debates on TV

The highly-anticipated debate between the students and government officials was finally held after 24 days of occupying the streets.

Everyone knew there would be no consensus, but wanted to see how it would all play out.

I missed the first hour, commuting from work to Admiralty, where it was jam-packed with people, mostly standing and listening intently.

The students got advice from former Secretary of Justice Wong Yan-lung as well as Democratic Party stalwart Martin Lee Chu-ming, Dr Joseph Chan Cho-wai, former head of University of Hong Kong's department of politics, and Occupy Central co-founder and associate professor of sociology Chan Kin-man.

Federation of Students' Alex Chow said after the debates they prepared all last night with some 20 lawyers and academics helping them.

As a result the students were very well prepped and they showed it, particularly Yvonne Leung, who cites the constitution that laws can be changed, countering Secretary of Justice Rimsky Yuen Kwok-keung's claims.

Students on one side... who on the other?

"According to the constitution of the People's Republic of China, the National People's Congress possesses the power to overthrow the decision," she said. Cheers in the crowd.

The law student's other points were that the government has a responsibility to initiate electoral reform decision instead of anticipating the central government's decision, and that the government has given up its right to fight Beijing for democracy.

Some tweeted she would make an excellent constitutional lawyer.

All the students spoke, but on the government's side, only Chief Secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, Yuen, and Raymond Tam, Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs; Edward Yau, Director of the Chief Executive's Office and Lau Kong-wah, Under Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs did not say a word in the two-hour debate.

Immediately people online created caricatures of Lau hiding in a trash bin in the room...

There were a lot of comments of why the officials were addressing the students by their English names and not by their last names as stipulated in the rules. Many found it condescending, perhaps a tactic to keep the students in their place.

But the students were undeterred and kept voicing their grievances to the government, that people are unhappy with the way things are now which is why they have protested and slept on the streets for 24 days now.

They also attacked Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying's remarks yesterday to foreign media, like The New York Times and Wall Street Journal that if one man, one vote was given in Hong Kong, then the poor would be the dominant voice.

Many were outraged to read his comments, which will get the poverty advocates out on the streets as well. To say that Leung is only interested in courting specific interest groups again shows his contempt for the majority of the population and particularly those who are barely eking out a living.

The officials tried to reiterate their position, and that the students were being naive, that they didn't know the politics behind trying to get electoral reform passed. Lam also threw in the anti-Occupy poll that had over 1 million signatures, to which the crowd groaned. Really? Not all those signatures were verified and many were not even Hong Kong residents!

She also claimed that Mongkok was dangerous which is why the occupation should end. But some people said afterwards that Lam should go there herself to see how peaceful the protesters have been, particularly these past two days.

In the end Lam tried to soothe the students, and said she hoped there would be more dialogue, that 2017 was only the first step towards electoral reform. But will the students buy it?

A lot of people left Admiralty as soon as the protests were over, but the solidarity was there. Will the crowds continue to hang out in the protest sites remain to be seen, but the students definitely made Hong Kong people proud -- they were speaking out their frustrations to the government directly, who should have been listening all along.

Establishing Dialogue At Last

Sketcher-Kee founder Kay Cheung's drawing of Mongkok early in the protests

Is there finally some progress?

After the violent clashes in Mongkok last night that saw police using pepper spray and batons on protesters, the Federation of Students called for talks with Chief Secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor.

It will be held on Tuesday at the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine in Wong Chuk Hang and moderated by pro-Beijing Lingnan University president Professor Leonard Cheng Kwok-hon.

Each side will have five representatives and the dialogue will be televised. Wonder if it will be a situation of who blinks first. While the Hong Kong government has made a series of missteps dealing with this now three-week-old occupation of streets in the city, it will be interesting to see what, if anything comes out of the talks.

Police Commissioner Andy Tsang Wai-hung

Will Lam reiterate the Basic Law again and lecture that there is no room for negotiation about civic nomination for the next chief executive? And will the students be persuasive enough to make Lam realize they are serious about their intentions and not a bunch of hooligans Police Commissioner Andy Tsang Wai-hung is trying to make them out to be?

Today almost three weeks later he finally made a statement angrily condemning the protesters, which just inflames the situation.

"Police strongly condemn those who participated in the unlawful assembly, charged police cordons and illegally occupied major thoroughfares in Mongkok earlier this morning and last night. Such behaviours are neither peaceful nor non-violent," he said.

"The police have been extremely tolerant of the unlawful acts of the demonstrators in the past two to three weeks. We did this in the hope that they can calm down and express their views in an otherwise peaceful, rational and lawful manner. Unfortunately these protesters choose to carry on with their unlawful acts... which are even more radical and violent.

What the protesters think about the Hong Kong government...

"To these protesters, you may think that your illegal acts have prevented the police in going about our duties, disrupted our deployments and even forced us to retreat. Superficially that may be the case. But let me tell you this: these illegal acts are undermining the rule of law, undermining [what] Hong Kong has always been relying on to succeed," Tsang continued.

"If, from now on, the police fail to uphold law effectively, who is there to benefit? And what is there to gain?" he said, then turned and walked away without taking questions from the media.

Reporters probably wanted to ask him, if the police are so tolerant, then why did seven of them beat up Ken Tsang who was already detained? Why were police dogs used on Lung Wo Road last night? And does he not see it is the police that have provoked the protesters to be defensive? Who are the ones with more weapons?

Yes the students and protesters are occupying the streets, but that's because the government refuses to have a dialogue with them.

It's pretty simple really. And they should not be talked down to. They are the future leaders of Hong Kong.