On the third consecutive day of protests fuelled by the Face Covering Regulation

The umbrellas were out for a purpose this rainy afternoon

Far more people braved heavy rain and the threat of arrest 

to march from Causeway Bay to Central today

than many probably expected would be the case

One big reason for doing so: wanting to assure a future

for oneself, one's descendants, and Hong Kong

Since Carrie Lam's announcement that she would introduce a Face Covering Regulation on Friday afternoon, protesters have been out in droves in various parts of Hong Kong for three consecutive days in the row.  Amidst the violence that has been wrought over the past three days of unrest (including the shooting of a 14-year-old boy by a cop on Friday night and some stores and banks with pro-Beijing associations trashed), it can be lost on many people -- especially if they are reliant on media outlets that emphasize dramatic, exceptional happenings over quiet, "normal" actions -- that the majority of these protests and protesters have been non-violent.

In the interest of balancing out the picture, here's drawing attention to the fact that tens (possibly even hundreds) of thousands of people -- young, old, couples, families, groups of friends -- took part in protest marches on either side of Victoria Harbour today.  Despite stormy weather and the knowledge that the events would be ruled as "illegal assemblies" by the police, they came out to peacefully -- even if also vocally -- exercise their rights to freedom of movement, assembly, demonstration and speech which supposedly is guaranteed in the Basic Law (see Article 27), and fight -- though not literally -- for their future, future generations, and that of Hong Kong itself.  

While they may indeed have been some people out there "for kicks" (as some folks have alleged), let me assure you that the physical conditions today made it so that being outdoors was most emphatically not most people's idea of fun.  Then there was the risk of getting maltreated by the police who, among other things, are not above arresting children, unleashing still more tear gas buffets and seemingly randomly turning on innocents, including journalists.

So how come so many people were out there today?  I'd partly chalk it down to their absolute fury and strong sense of indignation at how the authorities have so badly misjudged the situation, and also the spirit of Hong Kong -- one which is far stronger and stubborn than Beijing and its lackeys in Hong Kong seem to realize.