Hong Kong protesters trample Chinese flag

AP

Pro-democracy protesters desecrate the Chinese national flag during a protest at the New Town Plaza shopping mall in Hong Kong’s Sha Tin district on September 22, 2019.

Protesters in Hong Kong trampled a Chinese flag, vandalized a subway station and set a fire across a wide street on Sunday.
The day’s action began peacefully, as protesters filled a shopping mall and, in a new twist, folded paper “origami” cranes that they tied onto a large rigging that they assembled in the mall in the Shatin district.
Some put a Chinese flag on the floor and took turns running over it, before defacing it and putting it in a dumpster outside, which they then pushed into a nearby river.
One group later attacked the Shatin subway station, which is connected to the mall. 

They jumped up to smash overhead surveillance cameras, used hammers to knock ticket sensors off gates and spray-painted and broke the screens of ticket machines, using umbrellas to shield their identities.
Riot police arrived following the attack and guarded the station after it was closed, with a metal grill pulled down to block entry.
Protesters then built a barricade across a street near the mall, piled what appeared to be brown palm fronds on top and set them on fire.
Police fired tear gas as they tried to advance on the protesters, who had retreated before taking a position behind a wall of umbrellas that those in the front held.

Protesters says the extreme actions are needed to get the government’s attention. 

On Saturday night, police used tear gas and rubber rounds against protesters who threw gasoline bombs toward them and set fires in streets.
Before making the origami cranes, protesters at the Shatin New Town Plaza mall chanted slogans and sang a song that has become their anthem, backed by a small group playing on woodwind and brass instruments through their masks. 

Many lined the balustrades of the three higher floors overlooking where others gathered in the wide space below.
Hong Kong’s leader, Chief Executive Carrie Lam, has agreed to withdraw an extradition bill that sparked the protests in June. 

But the anti-government protesters are pressing other demands, including fully democratic elections in the semiautonomous Chinese territory and an independent investigation of police violence during earlier demonstrations.
Protesters say Beijing and Lam’s government are eroding the “high degree of autonomy” and Western-style civil liberties promised to the former British colony when it was returned to China in 1997.
The unending protests are an embarrassment for China’s Communist Party ahead of Oct. 1 celebrations of its 70th anniversary in power. 

Hong Kong’s government has canceled a fireworks display that day, citing concern for public safety.
Transit authorities closed two stations on the airport express train to guard against a possible disruption of transportation to the transportation hub, but none had materialized by late Sunday afternoon.
The Hong Kong International Airport Authority said the train would operate between the airport and the terminus station in the center of the city, without making its usual stops in between. 

Some airport bus routes were also suspended. 

Passengers were advised to leave sufficient time to reach the airport.
Passengers boarding the train were told via onboard announcements that it would make fewer stops than usual, with no mention of the protests. 

Orange tape blocked the turnstiles at the empty Kowloon station, and police clutching riot helmets greeted arriving passengers at the Hong Kong terminus.

Hong Kong protesters throw Chinese flag into iconic harbor

By YANAN WANG

A protester lowers a Chinese flag from a flagpole during a demonstration in Hong Kong, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2019. Hong Kong protesters ignored police warnings and streamed past the designated endpoint for a rally Saturday in the latest of a series of demonstrations targeting the government of the semi-autonomous Chinese territory.

HONG KONG — Hong Kong protesters removed a Chinese national flag from its pole and flung it into the city’s iconic Victoria Harbour on Saturday after a pro-democracy rally once again continued into the evening despite police warnings to stick to a short, pre-approved route.
Tens of thousands of black-clad protesters filled a major road in a usually bustling market district where shop owners had shuttered their storefronts in anticipation of a prolonged demonstration. 

They also blocked a tunnel and surrounded police stations where non-emergency services were suspended.
The protest was the latest in a summer-long pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong, a semi-autonomous Chinese territory. 

While the rallies have been largely peaceful, they have increasingly devolved into skirmishes with police after some protesters refused to disperse at assigned times.

Pro-democracy demonstrators began setting up first aid stations and handing out helmets a few hours into their rally. 

When one group reached the harbor near a luxury shopping center and high-end hotels, some protesters climbed up a cluster of flag poles and removed the Chinese national flag.
After some debate over whether to paint the flag black, they decided to throw it into the water before the police could intervene.
Shortly afterward, a 38-year-old protester named Paladin Cheng planted himself beside the poles with his own set of flags, which read “Hong Kong Independence.”
“We’re losing our freedom little by little,” said Cheng, who was clad in head-to-toe black with a black visor and face mask. 

“Those who don’t support Hong Kong independence will have no choice but to become Chinese.”
A former British colony, Hong Kong was returned to China in 1997 under the framework of “one country, two systems,” which promises the city certain freedoms not afforded to mainland residents. In recent years, however, Hong Kong residents have accused Beijing of chipping away at their autonomy through the arrests of booksellers and activists.
Such sentiments have propelled the current mass demonstrations, which were initially triggered by a proposed extradition law that would have allowed Hong Kong residents to be sent to mainland China to stand trial.
While the government has since suspended the legislation, protesters have pressed on with five major demands, including direct elections and an investigation into police brutality. 

Hong Kong’s leader is chosen by a pro-Beijing committee.
Police warned earlier Saturday that those who continued past the pre-approved route would be breaking the law. 

They called on protesters to stick to designated routes and times after violent clashes marred previous rallies in the summer-long protest movement. 

Any demonstrations that are not pre-approved will be “cleared out” as unlawful assemblies, police said.
Zarine Chau, a 56-year-old security guard, said she rarely used to get involved in politics, but was angered after she saw videos of police officers beating up protesters.
“I feel so hurt,” Chau said. 

“Why doesn’t the government answer to us?” 

She attended Saturday’s rally with her 5-month-old Chihuahua, who was there to help protesters relax, Chau said.
A 44-year-old nonprofit worker surnamed Wai said he was worried about protesters’ safety because violent incidents have often occurred after marches draw to a close.
“Some things have gone too far,” Wai said. 

“Hong Kong’s future belongs to all of us. We need to keep it safe.”
Hong Kong residents have accused police of negligence after 44 people were injured last month in a mob attack by white-clad assailants who targeted protesters. 

Authorities said their resources were stretched due to the prolonged demonstrations.
Mong Kok, the site of Saturday’s pro-democracy protest, was one area where protesters set up a pro-democracy demonstration zone in 2014. 

Near the end of the Occupy Central protests, police officers descended on the site and tore down the metal barricades, bamboo and wooden planks protesters had used to block off key streets.