Hong Kong Protests
Why Hong Kong is protesting
By Tara John, CNN
Updated 0923 GMT (1723 HKT) August 14, 2019
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In this grab taken from a footage provided by the Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation ROSATOM press service, a Russian military band prepare to attend the funerals of five Russian nuclear engineers killed by a rocket explosion in Sarov, the closed city, located 370 kilometers (230 miles) east of Moscow, which has served as a base for Russia's nuclear weapons program since the late 1940s, Russia, Monday, Aug. 12, 2019. Russia's Rosatom state nuclear concern said Thursday's explosion at a military testing range in northwestern Russia occurred while the engineers were testing a "nuclear isotope power source" for a rocket engine, a tragedy that fueled radiation fears and raised new questions about a secretive weapons program. (Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation ROSATOM via AP)
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Protesters surround banners that read: "Those charge to the street on today is brave!," center top, and "Release all the detainees!" during a sit-in rally at the arrival hall of the Hong Kong International airport, Monday, Aug. 12, 2019. Hong Kong police showed off water cannons Monday as pro-democracy street protests stretched into their 10th week with no sign of either side backing down. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
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Satellite imagery shows Chinese military vehicles congregating near Hong Kong border. As sweeping protests persist in Hong Kong, satellite imagery purports to show Chinese military vehicles gathering in Shenzen -- near Hong Kong's border with mainland China. Recently-arrived vehicles can be seen at the Shenzen Bay Sports Center, across the harbor from Hong Kong.
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Riot police use pepper spray to disperse anti-extradition bill protesters during a mass demonstration after a woman was shot in the eye, at the Hong Kong international airport, in Hong Kong China August 13, 2019. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu
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Members of a rescue team take part in a search effort to locate missing 15-year-old Franco-Irish teenager Nora Quoirin on Mount Berembun, Seremban on August 12, 2019. - Nora Quoirin, a 15-year-old with learning difficulties, disappeared on August 4, a day after checking into a Malaysian resort with her London-based family. (Photo by Mohd RASFAN / AFP) (Photo credit should read MOHD RASFAN/AFP/Getty Images)
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In this grab taken from a footage provided by the Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation ROSATOM press service, a Russian military band prepare to attend the funerals of five Russian nuclear engineers killed by a rocket explosion in Sarov, the closed city, located 370 kilometers (230 miles) east of Moscow, which has served as a base for Russia's nuclear weapons program since the late 1940s, Russia, Monday, Aug. 12, 2019. Russia's Rosatom state nuclear concern said Thursday's explosion at a military testing range in northwestern Russia occurred while the engineers were testing a "nuclear isotope power source" for a rocket engine, a tragedy that fueled radiation fears and raised new questions about a secretive weapons program. (Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation ROSATOM via AP)
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Protesters surround banners that read: "Those charge to the street on today is brave!," center top, and "Release all the detainees!" during a sit-in rally at the arrival hall of the Hong Kong International airport, Monday, Aug. 12, 2019. Hong Kong police showed off water cannons Monday as pro-democracy street protests stretched into their 10th week with no sign of either side backing down. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
Hong Kong airport cancels all departures
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Fred Pleitgen
Mysterious explosion in Russia kills 5
A Norwegian riot policeman stands in front of the al-Noor islamic center mosque where a gunman, armed with multiple weapons, went on a shooting spree in the town of Baerum, an Oslo suburb on August 10, 2019. - The gunman injured one worshipper before being arrested, police and witnesses said. (Photo by Terje Pedersen / NTB Scanpix / AFP) / Norway OUT (Photo credit should read TERJE PEDERSEN/AFP/Getty Images)
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Russian President Vladimir Putin attends his New Year address to Russians in central Moscow on December 31, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / Alexey NIKOLSKY (Photo credit should read ALEXEY NIKOLSKY/AFP/Getty Images)
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Officer appears to draw weapon after protesters beat him
Satellite imagery shows Chinese military vehicles congregating near Hong Kong border. As sweeping protests persist in Hong Kong, satellite imagery purports to show Chinese military vehicles gathering in Shenzen -- near Hong Kong's border with mainland China. Recently-arrived vehicles can be seen at the Shenzen Bay Sports Center, across the harbor from Hong Kong.
Chinese paramilitary posts near Hong Kong amid protests
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends his New Year address to Russians in central Moscow on December 31, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / Alexey NIKOLSKY (Photo credit should read ALEXEY NIKOLSKY/AFP/Getty Images)
Explosion shines new light on secret 'nuclear cities'
Riot police use pepper spray to disperse anti-extradition bill protesters during a mass demonstration after a woman was shot in the eye, at the Hong Kong international airport, in Hong Kong China August 13, 2019. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu
Chaos at Hong Kong airport as protestors and police clash
Members of a rescue team take part in a search effort to locate missing 15-year-old Franco-Irish teenager Nora Quoirin on Mount Berembun, Seremban on August 12, 2019. - Nora Quoirin, a 15-year-old with learning difficulties, disappeared on August 4, a day after checking into a Malaysian resort with her London-based family. (Photo by Mohd RASFAN / AFP) (Photo credit should read MOHD RASFAN/AFP/Getty Images)
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(CNN)Hong Kong is facing a major political crisis as it heads into a 10th week of mass demonstrations. What started as a movement against a controversial law has expanded into something much bigger.
Over the past few months, the protest has evolved from millions of protesters marching through the streets, to groups of yellow-hatted demonstrators storming into government headquarters, and now shutting down the city's international airport. While the majority of protestors have been peaceful, frustration is building on all sides.
Protestors are now demanding greater democracy and an inquiry into alleged police brutality during past demonstrations. Hong Kong's billionaires are calling for order. And as unrest intensifies, Beijing's tone is becoming increasingly heated.
Here's what you need to know:
What's the history here?
Hong Kong belongs to China, but it has its own currency, political system and cultural identity. Many Hong Kong residents don't see themselves as Chinese, but rather as Hong Kongers.
Hong Kong isn't just battling on the streets: There is also a war on misinformation online
Hong Kong isn't just battling on the streets: There is also a war on misinformation online
That difference goes back generations; the city was a colony and territory of the United Kingdom for more than 150 years, until the British handed it back over to China in 1997. Today, Hong Kong's legal system still mirrors the British model, prizing transparency and due process.
Hong Kong's de-facto constitution, the Hong Kong Basic Law, enshrines this uniqueness. It guarantees freedoms that are unavailable to Chinese mainlanders, such as the right to protest, the right to a free press and freedom of speech.
One of the tenets in the Basic Law is that Hong Kong has the right to develop its own democracy, and previous Chinese officials pledged that the central government in Beijing wouldn't interfere with that. But in recent years, Beijing has repeatedly reinterpreted the Basic Law -- now it says it has "complete jurisdiction" over Hong Kong.
The Basic Law states that Hong Kong "shall safeguard the rights and freedoms of the residents" for 50 years after the handover. But many residents say mainland China is already starting to encroach on those rights.
This perceived threat to Hong Kong's rule of law has led to the regular confrontations which has seen hundreds of protestors arrested so far.
What are the protestors like?
Hong Kong's summer of protest has seen all kinds: Massive peaceful marches; widespread strikes from different professional industries; and smaller group actions that have ended with clashes and vandalism, including putting up a banner in the seat of government that read "There's no rioters, there's only tyranny."
On Tuesday, violent outbreaks at Hong Kong airport set a newly combative tone, with protestors attacking and temporarily detaining two people.
Protesters stormed and partially sacked Hong Kong's legislature.
Protesters stormed and partially sacked Hong Kong's legislature.
The protests were sparked in July by widespread opposition to a now-shelved extradition bill, but have since expanded to demands for full democracy and police accountability.
Hong Kong protesters face a powerful enemy
Hong Kong protesters face a powerful enemy
Protestors have also been riled by recent allegations of police brutality. After a female protester was injured in the eye during clashes with police who were trying to disperse crowds, protesters at the airport on Monday wore eyepatches in reference to the woman's injury.
On the protest front lines, demonstrators have confronted police and been targeted by stick-wielding men in white, whom some accuse of collaborating with the government. But while many Hong Kongers have been inconvenienced by transport shutdowns and other travel disruptions, there is little sense of danger in the rest of the city.
Why are protesters targeting the airport?
Many activists have come to view Hong Kong's international airport as something of a safe protest space away from the streets, where clashes between demonstrators and police have become commonplace.
Hong Kong airport shutdown: What it means for business and the economy
Hong Kong airport shutdown: What it means for business and the economy
But that might have changed Tuesday evening, after police made their first significant appearance at the airport since protests began there five days ago.
The airport, which is one of the busiest in Asia, has emerged as a key protest target as anti-government demonstrators looked to take their message directly to the international community.
The airport, which is one of the busiest in Asia, has emerged as a key protest target.
The airport, which is one of the busiest in Asia, has emerged as a key protest target.
At the airport over the weekend, leaflets in Chinese, English, French, Korean, Japanese and other languages were handed out to arriving international visitors, explaining the causes of the unrest -- as protesters see it -- and the demands of the opposition movement.
Showcasing the slick design that has characterized the protests, other pamphlets and posters also advertised planned demonstrations as "new tourist spots," and advised tourists what to do if they were caught in the protests during their visit.
On Monday, almost 200 flights were canceled to and from Hong Kong. More were canceled on Tuesday as the shutdownwent into its second day.
What does this mean for Hong Kong's economy?
While mainland China is Hong Kong's most important trading partner, the city is an international business and financial hub, and the economy is already showing signs of hurting as a result of the protests.
Is it safe to visit Hong Kong while the city is being rocked by mass protests?
Is it safe to visit Hong Kong while the city is being rocked by mass protests?
Companies have already reported "serious consequences from the disruption," including lost revenue, disrupted supply chains and shelved investments, the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong said last month.
Businesses in Hong Kong, both international and local, have also faced pressure and accusations of acting in concert or sympathizing with the protesters. Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong's flagship carrier and a major local employer, has been ordered by Chinese aviation authorities to ban staff who take part in protests from traveling to China.
Companies have already reported "serious consequences from the disruption."
Companies have already reported "serious consequences from the disruption."
Cancelled flights are terrible news for companies operating in the financial hub. More than 74 million passengers traveled to and from the airport last year. It handles 1,100 passenger and cargo flights each day, and serves about 200 destinations around the world.
The airport contributes 5% to Hong Kong's GDP, directly and indirectly, said Frank Chan, Hong Kong's transport secretary, in May.
Experts worry that travelers will now avoid Hong Kong. "This is a disaster for Hong Kong that will cost tens of millions of dollars," said Geoffrey Thomas, editor in chief and managing director of AirlineRatings.com, a website that monitors airlines.
What is the government saying?
Officials in both Hong Kong and Beijing are increasingly critical of the protests.
In a statement released early Wednesday morning, Hong Kong police denounced the "radical and violent acts by protestors" at the airport, and a government spokesperson described what happened at the airport as overstepping "the bottom line of a civilized society."
In China, coverage of the protests has shifted from censorship to focus on clashes and disorder, with protestors labeled as "violent mobs" and "criminals." On Monday, Yang Guang, a spokesman for the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office, China's top body in charge of affairs in the city, said the protests showed "signs of terrorism" and suggested that they were the real threat to rule of law.
"Hong Kong's radical demonstrators have repeatedly attacked police officers with extremely dangerous tools," he said. "They have already constituted serious violent crimes and have begun to show signs of terrorism. This is a gross violation of the rule of law and social order in Hong Kong, which is endangering the lives and safety for Hong Kong citizens."
The escalating rhetoric has sparked fears that China could be mulling an intervention of force.
Beijing says Hong Kong protests 'show signs of terrorism.' If you only watch state media, you probably agree
Beijing says Hong Kong protests 'show signs of terrorism.' If you only watch state media, you probably agree
In an interview with CNN, Max Baucus, former US ambassador to China, described the challenge that protestors posed to China's central government.
"If Beijing thinks they can just jam a solution down the protesters' throats, that's not going to work, and I think they know that and trying to figure a way out," he said.
"Don't forget. China is very conservative. It's hard for China to deal with matters like this -- they are used to having their own way. This has been difficult for them. They're not nimble. They don't have a big diplomatic core like the United States does for example. This is tough for them."
What are other countries saying?
US President Donald Trump called for calm on Twitter on Tuesday afternoon. He claimed that US intelligence showed "the Chinese Government is moving troops to the Border with Hong Kong. Everyone should be calm and safe!" China already regularly maintains a troop presence near the Hong Kong border.
Trump hopes 'nobody gets killed' as Hong Kong protests escalate
Trump hopes 'nobody gets killed' as Hong Kong protests escalate
Meanwhile, British MPs have expressed concern of the deteriotating situation. MP Tom Tugendhat, chair of the UK government's House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, said Tuesday the UK should consider extending "full citizenship rights to the HK Chinese".
"This should have been done in 1997 and is a wrong that needs correcting," Tugendhat tweeted.
UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab says he is concerned by "what's happening in Hong Kong and the worrying pictures of clashes between police and protesters at the airport" Tuesday.
"As I said to Carrie Lam during my call last week, we condemn the violence and encourage constructive dialogue to find a peaceful way forward," Raab tweeted.
CNN's Jill Disis, Sherisse Pham and Laura He, Doug Criss, Sarah Dean, Ben Westcott, Julia Hollingsworth, James Griffiths and Helen Regan contributed to this report.
Airport beatings spark soul-searching over Hong Kong's radicals
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Hong Kong protests airport beatings Aug 13, 2019
Medical workers evacuate a detained man, who protesters claimed was a police officer from mainland China, during a demonstration at the Hong Kong airport on Tuesday, Aug 13, 2019. (Photo: AP/Vincent Yu)
14 Aug 2019 05:26PM (Updated: 15 Aug 2019 01:08AM)
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HONG KONG: Shocking scenes of protesters at Hong Kong's airport beating two men accused of being infiltrators have sparked soul-searching within the movement over whether a minority of radicals are undermining their cause.
Debate has appeared on web forums used by protesters - and one group even issued an apology - after Tuesday (Aug 13) night's chaotic scenes in which paranoia about undercover police reached new heights.
In separate instances during a paralysing occupation of the city's airport two men found themselves at the mercy of a mob.
One was accused of being a mainland police officer and another of being a spy masquerading as a journalist.
image: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/image/11808756/0x0/1024/683/664a1dcf2f17b3d145bcc3daf67b0e05/JS/hong-kong-protests-airport-beatings-journalist.jpg
Hong Kong protests airport beatings journalist
Protesters surround a man carrying a T-shirt bearing the words "I love police" who protesters claimed was a police officer from mainland China, during a demonstration at the Hong Kong airport on Aug 13, 2019. (Photo: AP/Vincent Yu)
Both were detained, had their limbs bound by zip-ties and were beaten until crowds of fellow demonstrators and firemen managed to usher them to waiting ambulances.
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Beijing, which has refused to offer any concessions to protesters, jumped on the assaults Wednesday, accusing protesters of adopting "terrorist-like actions".
Within the protest movement there was a palpable uneasiness over how Tuesday's violence had unfolded.
"After months of prolonged resistance, we are frightened, angry and exhausted. Some of us have become easily agitated and over-reacted last night," one group, which has organised anonymous press conferences featuring protesters, said in a statement emailed to journalists.
"For this we feel pained and dispirited and would like to express our most sincere apologies," the statement added.
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READ: Hong Kong airport protesters 'overstepped bottom line of a civilised society': Government
On the Reddit-like LIHKG forum used to coordinate protests, some voiced dismay over the violence.
"We are not like the corrupt cops," one user wrote. "We should admit it when we're wrong."
FRENZIED ANGER
image: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/image/11808144/0x0/1024/682/1aa851a392c318ce92a33d6fa48fe55f/uX/hong-kong-airport-trolley-barricade.jpg
Protesters block the entrance to the airport terminals after a scuffle with police
Protesters block the entrance to the airport terminals after a scuffle with police at Hong Kong's international airport late on Aug 13, 2019. (Photo: AFP/Manan Vatsyayana)
Weeks of rallies, demonstrations and occupations in Hong Kong have seen millions of people take to the streets in the biggest challenge to China's rule of the semi-autonomous city since its 1997 handover from Britain.
The movement was initially sparked by opposition to a planned law that would have allowed extraditions to mainland China.
But it has evolved into a much broader campaign for democratic freedoms, and a bid to stop the growing influence of Beijing's creeping authoritarianism.
With 10 weeks of unprecedented protests and increasingly violent battles with police winning no compromises from Beijing or the city's leaders, protesters this week took their civil disobedience campaign to the airport, one of the busiest in the world.
About 1,000 flights were affected by the two-day disruption at the airport, said Hong Kong Secretary for Transport and Housing Frank Chan Fan on Wednesday.
"In the past two days, the number of affected flights has reached 1000. If those 1000 flights are fully booked, for example, if one flight can fit 100 people, then the affected passengers could reach 100,000. If there's more than 100 people in one flight, then the affected people would be a lot," he said.
On Monday alone, 421 flights were cancelled , accounting for more than 30 per cent of the total number of flights that day, the Hong Kong International Airport said in a statement late on Wednesday.
Activists argued that increased levels of police violence - including a protester who reportedly lost an eye to a bean-bag round - had forced them to up the ante and hit a soft target, even if that meant disrupting travellers.
But ever since police disguised themselves as protesters to make arrests last weekend, fears of interlopers have exploded.
Kwok Ka-ki, a lawmaker, was at the airport late Tuesday after the crowds had zip-tied their second victim to a luggage cart.
It later transpired the man was working for the Chinese state-run and vociferously anti-protest tabloid the Global Times.
Kwok pleaded with the largely young protesters not to beat the man.
"We shouldn't do anything to harm him," he told AFP, recalling the night's events.
"Even if he was actually doing something unlawfully, we should not get into the same position as the government or the police," he added.
READ: Violence will push Hong Kong down 'path of no return': Carrie Lam
PEACEFUL RALLY PLANNED
Yet some within the protest movement remain unapologetic.
One 19-year-old, who wanted to remain anonymous, admitted to hitting one of the detained men.
"I don't think this is going too far. They are the enemy," he told AFP.
"Everyone's emotions were really high, because there have been too many injustices done to us," added another protester, who gave her name as Sav.
On the LIHKG forum some were adamant the two beaten men were legitimate targets.
The violence poses a challenge to a movement that has successfully pushed a mantra of unity over the last ten weeks.
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One chant and slogan that is often daubed on walls roughly translates as: "Even in a nuclear explosion, we won't sever ties."
The Civil Human Right Front - a non-violent group that organised record-breaking rallies early on - has vowed to hold a fresh march on Sunday in an attempt to show the movement still retains popular support.
Dixon Sing, a political analyst, said the more moderate elements were already issuing apologies to travellers for the airport disruption.
"Among the protesters, it's very pluralistic," he said.
"There's a more rational wing that pays close attention to the tide of public opinion and they take action to rectify the more radical and emotional acts as soon as they can."
MORE: Our coverage of the Hong Kong protests
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