There will be a big, authorized march tomorrow in Hong Kong, the first of its kind since July. The head of the Hong Kong police spent today in Bejiing getting instructions from the Ministry of Public Security, and no one is really sure what will happen.
The two key questions: will there be substantial turnout? The last CHRF rally on August 18 had over a million people show up in torrential rain. And will the police allow such a peaceful protest to go through, or are they looking to sabotage it?
It's evident that the HKPF takes orders directly from Beijing, but we also learned at the district council elections that Beijing has very little understanding of the real state of affairs in Hong Kong. They seem to believe their own propaganda. That makes them unpredictable
All I want to say is mad respect to Jimmy Sham, the convener of Civil Human Rights Front. He's assuming legal liability for the march tomorrow, and despite being viciously beaten on October 16 (the second attack on him in two months), went on to win an elected seat. A brave guy!
(When I ask whether the police are looking to sabotage this protest, all I have in mind is whether they will treat people spilling off of the designated marching route as a riotous act, and respond by revoking the permit. That's a very easy way to shut a march of this size down)
Good luck to all my fellow National Endowment for Democracy operatives who will spend a sleepless night handing out bags of cash in hopes of goosing turnout tomorrow. Your reward will be a good night's rest tomorrow in one of the luxury submarines under Victoria Bay. Hail Hydra!
