Many of the barricades near Occupy Central began coming down this morning, but not without resistance. I took the above video at 1:40 pm today on Queensway in Admiralty, just below Hong Kong’s police headquarters, a few blocks from the main protest grounds. A group of older men, apparently frustrated that the two-week Occupy Central protests have blocked their streets, rip down the barricades while others chant, “Open the roads.” Some quick-thinking Occupy protesters immediately plant themselves in the middle of the street for an impromptu sit-in.
(Note: the video has been edited for brevity; the raw footage is here.)
Within minutes, police began rushing into the area to keep the peace. They would be needed, because within an hour, hundreds would congregate at this spot, chanting “rubbish” at one another across the dividing line.
I’ll have more videos, pictures, and words in a bit. (Update: more videos, pictures, and words.) For now, here’s a closer look at the protesters who replaced the barricades with themselves:
Screenshots from the video:
Having political freedom to express self’s demand is a basic right of human beings. However, not every protest is simply for democracy and liberty. The worst thing is that innocent and aggressive youths are instigated by some politicians for some unknown purpose. What’s more, the protest should be peaceful and not affect people’s life and the city’s working. In Hong Kong’s case, people express their eager is absolutely right, but expressing in a more calm, clever and peaceful way is more likely to be supported by people. Using limited price to reach the final purpose is a wise choice.
I speak highly of the expression of political liberty in Hong Kong. Not like most of us, mainland students, may speak litter, think litter, and do litter when faced with political problems. They fight for their rights and for themselves, although some of them are so crazy and extreme. However, what they have done has taken a heavy toll on Hong Kong’s economy, people’s life and so on. No wander that many Hong Kong residents are against their behaviors and want to remove barricades on the road. All in all, I must say I we need learn something from them.