There is no rest among the Chinese inhabitants of Hong Kong. They turned out in massive numbers over the weekend to protest Beijing's handling of their demonstrations criticizing the government's reaction to citizens' demands for change. Estimates run to over 800,000 people who participated in Sunday's mostly peaceful protest.
Thousands of Hong Kong residents have been arrested. The police have used prodigious amounts of tear gas to subdue protesters. But still, they come out again to send a message to Beijing: we want our rights, now. The rally was organized by Civil Human Rights Front, which has had permit requests rejected many times over the last 3 months.
Sunday's rally brought out people who filled the streets in a 2 mile long procession leading from mid day until after dark. Families joined in the throng and mixed easily with younger participants. Neither side appears willing to give ground and no end is in sight. beijing hopes to outlast the protesters but it may have played into the hands of those who want to send a message that Hong Kong wants to remain autonomous for many more than the spoken 25 years. we'll see, won't we?
No comments:
Post a Comment