As I write this blog post, thousands of protesters are taking part in a march from Kwai Fong to Tsuen Wan. Despite my wanting the government to officially withdraw the extradition bill whose proposal has led to so much protest and trouble in Hong Kong, I haven't joined them -- in large part for fear that the police are setting up a trap for protesters there despite today's protest march actually being issued a letter of no objection by them.
One reason for my suspicion is that, like for yesterday's Kwun Tong to Kowloon Bay protest march (which also had a "Letter of No Objection" from the police), the MTR has made it difficult for march participants to get to the official start point as well as to leave the march by stopping service to area stations. Worse was the discovery later on that the closed-off sections of the Kwun Tong line were actually being used by the police -- thus giving a lie to the MTR's official stated reason that it was closed off for the safety of the public and its staff.
Despite the MTR's actions yesterday, I -- along with many thousands of other people -- still managed to get to the march -- whose demands are the same as the Hong Kong Way's and scores of other protests that have taken place this summer in Hong Kong. And like the vast majority of protests I've taken part in this summer, they were peaceful when I was there; with protesters and police not clashing (and tear gas being fired after eight blessedly tear-gas less days in Hong Kong, etc.) yesterday until after I and many thousands of others had peacefully completed the march and were miles away from the area...
One reason for my suspicion is that, like for yesterday's Kwun Tong to Kowloon Bay protest march (which also had a "Letter of No Objection" from the police), the MTR has made it difficult for march participants to get to the official start point as well as to leave the march by stopping service to area stations. Worse was the discovery later on that the closed-off sections of the Kwun Tong line were actually being used by the police -- thus giving a lie to the MTR's official stated reason that it was closed off for the safety of the public and its staff.
Despite the MTR's actions yesterday, I -- along with many thousands of other people -- still managed to get to the march -- whose demands are the same as the Hong Kong Way's and scores of other protests that have taken place this summer in Hong Kong. And like the vast majority of protests I've taken part in this summer, they were peaceful when I was there; with protesters and police not clashing (and tear gas being fired after eight blessedly tear-gas less days in Hong Kong, etc.) yesterday until after I and many thousands of others had peacefully completed the march and were miles away from the area...
It's bad enough that the MTR closed five of their stations yesterday
but that they did so with not much advance notice :(
Some of the Kwun Tong streets that were part of yesterday's
protest march route were on the narrow side -- or felt that way
when so many protesters were making their way along them!
Water and masks (among other things, it was a super hot
and high air pollution day) freely available to march participants
Peacefully marching past the old Kowloon Flour Mills (where,
That distinctively Hong Kong combination of
Trouble beckoned when the march neared a police station
and a cordon of cops blocking off the road
Most of us at yesterday's march gave the police and
their station a wide berth, but to no avail... :(
station to the march terminus was closed -- with this one having a sign
on it that said, "I thought [the] police were supposed to protect us" :(
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