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This is some shoddy coverage by the Washington Post, which misses the point of today's enormous march, and the reason it turned destructive. Hong Kongers were marching to ask America to pass a specific law, the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act washingtonpost.com/world/hong-kon…
This act would reaffirm US support for Hong Kong's autonomy, add specific support for universal suffrage by 2020 (promised to Hong Kongers by the Basic Law), and add harsh financial penalties for individuals identified as denying Hong Kongers their basic rights.
The Act has several other provisions, but its most important role is to draw a clear line that China must not cross in Hong Kong—infringing on the "One Country, Two Systems" promise of autonomy that is supposed to keep Hong Kong free from authoritarian rule. It's a great law!
Hong Kongers marched today just to ask us to pass this law. Many young people wore neckties in the stifling heat, as a sign of respect. They took pains to chant in English. They gave out instructions on how to properly collect US flags after the event. They sang our awful anthem.
The march had a police permit until evening, but midway through it, riot police shut down the central subway station, panicking commuters and demonstrators. They insisted that everyone must go home two hours early, while giving them no way to get home.
This behavior comes against a background of shocking police violence, including an attack in a subway station on 8/31 that put several people in the hospital. Protesters have been demanding for days that the MTR or police release the footage from this police rampage, to no avail
So the violence tonight was very deliberately targeted at MTR stations and public infrastructure (like traffic lights). Anyone who goes to Hong Kong protests sees that demonstrators don't destroy private property, or attack individuals. The police are the ones who hurt people.
Reporters write about these demonstrations "descending into violence" as if it were a failure by Hong Kongers to keep their cool, keep the high road. The high road got them nothing in 2014, and nothing in 2019. When the police declares war on you, sometimes you have to fight back
The Guardian, sadly, has an equally bad article out. Today's event was a specific request for the US to pass a specific law, but reporters have Trump on the brain. theguardian.com/world/2019/sep…
The silver lining of all this is, if you're a US person, you should call your representative and ask them to pass the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act. It has broad bipartisan support! If we can move it through Congress quickly, it will help to deter Chinese intervention
I will add as a coda that the only violence against people in these protests comes from the police. Tonight we had a major shopping area full of families tear gassed for no reason, a medic shot in the foot, and a press photographer targeted at close range with a tear gas grenade
It's morning in America (just like Reagan promised), so won't you please take a few minutes to contact your representative, and urge them to pass the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act? A phone call is always best. It is a small, important thing we can do to help Hong Kong
