Red flags in a Hong Kong that is not in the mood to paint the town red!

 

Lee Tung Avenue (as opposed to street) in the days leading up to

October 1st last year -- and, in all probability. like this now too

 

In the period leading up to the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's Handover by the British to the Communist Chinese, Hong Kong is looking quite a bit redder than usual as well as than I, for one, think is aesthetically ideal.  This is thanks to a number of pro-Beijing organizations as well as the Hong Kong government deciding to put up an inordinately large number of China and Hong Kong flags around various parts of town, often in close proximity to a number of others.  

 

Prior to the run-up to October 1st last year, I don't think I saw such a crazy amount of China (and Hong Kong) flags on display in Hong Kong.  But I guess this is going to be the new aesthetic norm every July 1st and October 1st in the territory; and something that makes me miss the pre-national security law ways of commemorating the anniversaries of Hong Kong's Handover and China's National Day.

 

Something else that is coming to be par for the course in the lead ups to July 1st and October 1st in Hong Kong is the national security law arrest of this or that person.  Wall Street Journal reporter Selina Cheng noted that nine arrests have been made by the national security police in the past five days, bringing the total number of national security law arrests up to 207 in total.  And it says so much about the current state of affairs of Hong Kong that, as she noted in a subsequent Tweet, the national security law arrests of  "unknown, ordinary people are barely causing a stir these days, it seems".  

 

Today saw the arrest of three individuals, including a secondary school student, "suspected of owning imitation firearms".  Saturday saw the arrest of two men who were found to own "[s]ome electronic communication devices which were used to publish seditious messages, a computer, military knives and an imitation firearm were seized”.  

 

As a Hong Konger, Nathan Hammond, stated on Twitter (specifically about Saturday's arrests but applicable too to today's): "This is an annual occurrence and always feels like nonsense. You can buy these things by the dozen in Mongkok stores *right now.* The imitation firearm doesn’t have orange markers because we have rounds-to-zero firearms in [Hong Kong]. The reasonable assumption on seeing a gun [here] is [that it's] “fake.”"; adding that "Until those stores are forced to close you should read this as copaganda."

 

Unfortunately, there's not much people can do about those who get arrested in the lead up to these politically sensitive anniversaries.  But there's been pushback against the aesthetically displeasing flag displays; some of which have borne fruit.

 

In particular, the residents of Ping Shek Estate, a public housing estate, have seen red with regards to their building being heavily adorned by provocative red flags by doing such as covering them with their laundry, stealing them and even smearing them with black paint.  (Similarly, some flags at Upper Ngau Tau Kok Estate, also a public housing estate, went missing too!)   And while the police are investigating, they haven't arrested anyone as yet for theft and "insulting the national flag"!

And then it was found today that the flags have all gone from Ping Shek Estate as of this morning!  This after a "Beijing heavyweight" (as some of the media are wont to call those folks) told a media outlet that the flags should be protected 24/7!  

 

As it turned out, the flags had been hung -- and then removed -- by an organization that I have the feeling doesn't have that many members among the residents of Ping Shek Estate.  Specifically, a Chiu Chow clan association had been behind the flag installation at Ping Shek and 24 other venues.   

 

Something else that has been erected in certain parts of the city ahead of July 1st -- and this probably specifically to protect VIPs visiting from Mainland China on July 1st -- are anti-terrorist water barriers.  The authorities may go on all they want about Hong Kongers celebrating the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's Handover and maybe even the (short) visit of Xi Jinping but, from actions such as these, you know they know that the majority of Hong Kongers aren't inclined to be in a celebratory or welcoming mood come this July 1st!