http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-29453490
How inspiring that such a multitude are prepared to break the law to show their disapproval of the one man one vote fixed election should Executive C Y Leung get in again.
The imminent stand off whereby the protesters plan to occupy the government building is both a sign of their commitment and power. As one banner says "you can't kill us all".
Power to the people indeed! Wonderful!
I wish them well but they have changed the goal posts. I don't even know if the current chief executive is planning to stand in 2017....and that is what this protest was about. They want ANYONE to be able to stand not just candidates approved by Bejing. And I totally agree with that concept.
They may have good reason to want Leung to go now but they should stick to one goal
They seem to be taking Bejings lack of action as a sign of success -hence the widening of their goals. I don't believe it is. This clearly is democracy in action....but it may well have a very different result to the one they hope. How long with Hong Kongs businessmen be prepared to lose money? Bejing may feel that just like the protestors all they have to do is sit and wait.
I really hope I am proved wrong and that real strides are made towards proper democracy in Hong Kong as a result of this protest.
Yes I doubt that they will get all that they want but, it would seem, that some concession/compromise will now have to be forthcoming. Hong Kong's government cannot afford to be so blatantly embarassed and shown up in this way again I would have thought.
Well the Chief Executive is suggesting a meeting with the leaders. It will be interesting to see what comes out of that.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-29453490
How inspiring that such a multitude are prepared to break the law to show their disapproval of the one man one vote fixed election should Executive C Y Leung get in again.
The imminent stand off whereby the protesters plan to occupy the government building is both a sign of their commitment and power. As one banner says "you can't kill us all".
Power to the people indeed! Wonderful!
Break the law in what way? It is a very peaceful protest (from the protestors' side, anyway).
Actually, China could kill them all - it's not as if the rest of the world would do more than tut at them - then go back to trading with Beijing.
Protesting is illegal there.
Don't you think that China's reputation would suffer immeasurably if they were all killed? There's such a thing as sanctions. Such mass slaughter would evoke far more than just a tut.
Protesting is illegal there.
Don't you think that China's reputation would suffer immeasurably if they were all killed? There's such a thing as sanctions. Such mass slaughter would evoke far more than just a tut.
Protesting is not illegal. Hong Kong has a long history of peaceful protest.
As for mass slaughter, have you forgotten Tianaman Square? Sanctions against China would cost the west more than they would cost China. You have only to look at recent history to see how little the western governments actually care about life, liberty or democracy. They all fade into insignificance before free market capitalism.
Crowan...obviously you do not know about this...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-29453490
What about the power of sanctions?
Crowan...obviously you do not know about this...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-29453490What about the power of sanctions?
Of course, Amy. No one knows as much as you do!
However, I could point out the inverted commas around the word "illegal" in the link you gave.
What makes you think that a government - our's, for example - would use sanctions against China?
I'm not sure protesting is actually illegal there?
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/10/06/us-hongkong-china-idUSKCN0HV03J20141006
It says on there:
The Communist Party leadership has dismissed the Hong Kong protests as illegal but has left Leung's government to find a solution.
but just because the communist party leadership has dismissed them as illegal doesn't make them so. One of the things with communism is they can make up the laws as they want to.
Finding anything about the laws of hong kong doesn't seem to easy on the web, the closest I could find (so far) was this...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hong_Kong_Basic_Law_Article_23
but that seems mainly relating to foreign political parties and organisations or religious organisations acting against the government... not about the public.
In addition... if protests are really Illegal there, they don't seem to do much to stop them...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hong_Kong_1_July_marches
Protest is legal in Hong Kong.
This protest is largely because China is trying to do away with the 50 year "1 country, 2 systems" agreement.
Yes the portrayal of the protests in the media often comes with the tag "illegal protests". Shades of grey here. I take Crowan's point that it is a peaceful protest and all the more remarkable for that since it has gone on for over a week.
Nitpicking focuses on the minutiae at the expense of overlooking the main experience ....like quibbling about aspects of a rainbow. I would be interested in your opinions of this protest.
Yes the portrayal of the protests in the media often comes with the tag "illegal protests". Shades of grey here. I take Crowan's point that it is a peaceful protest and all the more remarkable for that since it has gone on for over a week.
Nitpicking focuses on the minutiae at the expense of overlooking the main experience ....like quibbling about aspects of a rainbow. I would be interested in your opinions of this protest.
I really don't think it is nitpicking - China calls it illegal because China is scared of democracy and wants a legitimate reason to stop the protests. Hong Kong know it isn't illegal because - for 50 years from 1997 - they keep the freedoms they had under UK rule.
I don't even think it's that remarkable. Hong Kong has had peaceful demonstrations for decades. Remember that the Democratic movement in HK started as a protest against the UK.
As for my opinions, they are complex. I would love for HK to have full democracy (everywhere else, as well). I can't see it happening, however. On a very personal level, I just hope everyone remains safe. Not sure that that will happen, either.