I can’t get a good picture but the protesters haven’t dispersed. It’s been almost 10 hours of teargas, foam bullets, arrests... It sometimes looks like a scene out of Blade Runner. #HongKongProtests.pic.twitter.com/1KiKWfGkad
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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.
Protest research is hard to plan. Who knows when they’ll pop up? How long will it last? You do what you can while it continues. Gratitude here to my colleague @smalljones who guest lectured to cover my classes during the Arab Spring! He’s still doing it! (Win for the students!)
The protesters just sang “Glory to Hong Kong” which has become their anthem. A few weeks ago, this didn’t exist. Now they all know it, and often sing it hand over heart.pic.twitter.com/7rUd9iJfqW
MLK, Mandela, Havel, Churchill and others as voiceover for the promo for the 9/29 protests! It is going to be a busy weekend, with the fifth anniversary of the Umbrella Movement and the 70th anniversary of mainland China both coming up! https://twitter.com/tomgrundy/status/1177239068846878720/video/1 …
Tonight’s rally in Hong Kong on detainees and police misconduct, was pretty large. But the big one is tomorrow: a “global anti-totalitarianism march” followed on October 1st by a “wear black” day on the anniversary of mainland China’s founding. Big weekend for #HongKongProtestspic.twitter.com/zkfBv8zTxJ
The crowd coming out of the subway for the fifth anniversary of the Umbrella revolution rally is so big and dense that we can barely move. Popular chant: “five demands, not one less.” More and more protesters tell me the fifth, universal suffrage, is the most important to them.pic.twitter.com/DJ1C8iYUI4
The rally had barely started, but I already saw the red flag and police are already using pepper spray on people entering the rally. Meanwhile, a small orchestra (right past the pepper spray) is practicing “Glory to Hong Kong”—the anthem that didn’t even exist until recently.pic.twitter.com/OsoVrHPo5E
On its fifth anniversary, the Umbrella movement is back where it started, occupying Harcourt road. It’s tear gas, pepper spray, water cannons (blue water laced with something that burns) against a sea of umbrellas. But the movement is different—tenor, goals & methods all evolved.pic.twitter.com/kuo8CrrwlY
Causeway “anti totalitarian” march. An hour before scheduled gathering time and the tear gas warning flag is up already.
#HongKongProtestspic.twitter.com/YIHWe9gYhV
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