I’ve seen this at multiple night protests in Hong Kong. People turn on their phone flashlight—sometimes explicitly for drone or overhead photos. (This one is at the rally about the effects of tear gas on pets).pic.twitter.com/yJoE1m8xJ2
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I was on the MTR (Hong Kong subway) just before all that happened. It was full of protesters and ordinary passengers going home. It’s ordinarily a very well run, amazing system that everybody relies. This isn’t a place where such scenes are normalized.https://twitter.com/journodannyaero/status/1167994686591496192 …
This may look like a routine protest, but they are taking a huge risk. There is a legal injunction on the airport, with potentially very long jail sentences. And it’s a confined space with no way out. Hong Kong protesters have been remarkably tenacious.https://twitter.com/erinhale/status/1168051883505700864 …
Note that the Hong Kong police were not being heckled by the protesters but whoever happens to be inside the airport. The protesters hadn’t entered the airport because of the way paperwork checks have been moved right outside the doors and the injunction.https://twitter.com/stegersaurus/status/1168090747251200001 …
You know that there is no universal suffrage or true democracy in Hong Kong? In fact, that’s what they are demanding. To have a democratic voice rather than have to protest. https://twitter.com/noalgonick/status/1168126994132811776 …
The protesters indeed had a major protest at the Hong Kong Airport today. The police shut down all the train lines out and also showed up at the ferry stations. Result: they walked for hours and got picked up by HongKongers who showed up to save them.
https://twitter.com/erinhale/status/1168153273234161665 …
See thread on “Hong Kong’s Dunkirk.”https://twitter.com/rhokilpatrick/status/1168156914158469120 …
The eye-patch (referencing the medic girl who was shot in the eye in Tsim Sha Tsui) has been everywhere in the Hong Kong protests.https://twitter.com/myetcetera/status/1168171242160975873 …
Today's the first day of school in Hong Kong and the student have called for a school strike. One sees riot police in robocop gear around town now, and ID checks and searches. It's a striking shift in how the city feels. (Below, Carrie Lam's alma mater)https://twitter.com/HongKongFP/status/1168363475459923968 …
Today in Hong Kong, secondary school students held a rally. Some were wearing the eyepatch.
Now in a long, snaking line of protesters waiting to go over the footbridge to the rally in Tamar. #HongKongProtestspic.twitter.com/xgPVt6LdHP
The rally at Tamar was pretty large (one of multiple simultaneous rallies today in Hong Kong). We want democracy—that’s what I hear most often from the protesters. #HongKongProtestspic.twitter.com/GiBSzic6Rv
Here in the Hong Kong protests, Pepe isn’t a symbol of alt-right. They adopted him as just a frog. Most have no idea of its US connotation. It’s taken some time but I’m no longer startled by it. Here are some Pepes with eyepatches from today—for the medic who got shot in the eye.pic.twitter.com/BZP1QpUUpg
This from last night. This morning, there are more reports of arrests of organizers of peaceful protests. Hong Kong's government is simultaneously: not democratically elected; not responding to *very* large peaceful rallies; arresting peaceful dissidents.https://twitter.com/anti_elab/status/1168569274778079232 …
That's the context in which, the Hong Kong protesters tell me, they've turned to more confrontational tactics. There's a lot of discussion here about what might finally make the government respond to the people. After this morning's press conference by Carrie Lam, a muddier path.
I'm seeing a lot of nonsense like this. Hong Kong protesters are tenacious and brave. They use water against tear gas canisters just like protesters in Tahrir Square, Cairo—not liquid nitrogen ffs. So many comments about how "Asian protesters" are smart, high-IQ—alt-right themes.pic.twitter.com/cPvl1pcLsN
There is a bizarre desire to racialize protesters into a hierarchy. I've seen protests up close in a range of countries, and Hong Kong's protesters are definitely brave, persistent and smart—and use almost identical set of tools on the ground as did those in Middle East.
For the record, this is the key difference I’ve noticed between protest technology *on the ground* between Hong Kong and Middle East: saline is used more here. Otherwise it’s mostly the same: helmets, masks, gloves, water and a lot of heart and bravery.https://twitter.com/zeynep/status/1168734985315999744 …
For yet another night, protesters have gathered at the Prince Edward station—where the police charged in to the subway station and beat up and pepper sprayed almost randomly. The station is closed but people have been leaving flowers. The Mong Kok police station next to it.pic.twitter.com/E6yLJdaV6r
Here’s how the Prince Edward station looked yesterday—flowers, a lone protester and some posters. Just as I was leaving, a row of riot police stationed themselves in front of it. Riot police are becoming increasingly common in Hong Kong. #HongKongProtestspic.twitter.com/m0tWmUIUuJ
The police were trying to arrest someone at Prince Edward station. Protesters end up chanting “triads” at them. And a line of older peacemakers tried to hold them back, and got pepper-sprayed. And now, the station is full of riot police. Common sight these days in Hong Kong.pic.twitter.com/sggx56IrD7
The level of police-populace tensions is so high in Hong Kong that they cannot arrest one person without being surrounded by protesters, being heckled, and having to call in riot cops. Thirty robocop geared police are still here. Someone was just carried out on a stretcher. :-(pic.twitter.com/UO9QOaZESg
This is a video of the riot police retreat from Prince Edward station. The protesters have long left. As they retreat, the police are being heckled by passengers and people who clearly look like residents.pic.twitter.com/4Iov9TlaHQ
Okay so the injured person was someone tackled by the police, suspected spinal injury. :-( It appears that it took a firefighter intervening to get some attention. See thread. (Sorry for sideway videos! On mobile!)https://twitter.com/stegersaurus/status/1168916795010494467 …
Maybe they could tell that liquid nitrogen makes no sense, and all this is just people projecting their stereotypes onto them? Those degrees help you be smarter. (Below tweet is an attempt at joke about smart Hong Kong protesters using “liquid nitrogen.”) https://twitter.com/graemeburton/status/1168664933812310020 …
So yeah, it’s not liquid nitrogen (no kidding!) and all that viral stuff is either geek fantasies, or, worse, alt-right myth-making about IQ and race. Hong Kong’s protesters are brave, young, and vulnerable. They need solidarity not this nonsense. See:https://twitter.com/zeynep/status/1168731678392504320 …
Carrie Lam has finally announced the withdrawal of the extradition bill that initially sparked the protests. But no amnesty for arrestees, no independent inquiry into police, and no democratic reforms. I don’t think they’re reading the public mood well.https://twitter.com/bydanielvictor/status/1169192151386746881 …
Ugh this nonsense now has a "Bernie's Tweets" version—vinegar rather than liquid nitrogen, but still "chemistry grads". 7.5 million views! See upthread on why this kind of fetishization—via alt-right or via geek fantasies—is harmful to Hong Kong's brave but vulnerable protesters.pic.twitter.com/2wKdZPKmI1
Also, see my other thread on how the copypasta "experts" following Hong Kong only via journalists (who often exaggerate or focus on what's visually attractive or sounds novel to them) or tweets can end up being harmful, too.https://twitter.com/zeynep/status/1169323269297717248 …
Hong Kong protests aren’t dying down because their other demands are no less important to them—especially the independent investigation into police conduct and amnesty for the “riot” charges. 1100+ were arrested and some of face 10+ years. Not over by far.https://twitter.com/pinboard/status/1170324067674537984 …
Crowd waiting outside the Queen Elizabeth Stadium where Carrie Lam had a dialogue with 150 people inside. They’re all holding up their hands in a gesture of five, chanting five demands, not one less—including universal suffrage! Fourth month. #HongKongProtests still high energy.pic.twitter.com/XLhCahBczI
Yes, yes, I’m back in Hong Kong. I should probably start a new thread.
With a 12 hour time difference, I need some “ga yao” myself but preferably in the form of a bottle of Pocari—a protester staple here.
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