Hong Kong Airport Shuts Down as Protests Rage for 10th Week
HAVANA TIMES – In Hong Kong, where mass popular protests are now in their 10th week, officials have closed the international airport, grounding all flights. Many protesters are now rushing to clear the airport, fearing threats of more police action, but hundreds of activists remain.
Thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators gathered over the weekend to protest police brutality and call for pro-democracy reforms, as they say the Beijing-aligned government is attempting to weaken Hong Kong’s autonomy.
Clashes broke out between protesters and police forces, turning especially violent Sunday night as riot police fired tear gas inside a subway station and were filmed beating protesters with batons. Meanwhile, mainland China has been ramping up actions to oppose the demonstrations.
Last week, China ordered Hong Kong-based airline Cathay Pacific to suspend any staff who support pro-democracy protests. We’ll have more on Hong Kong later in the broadcast.
Manuel, “China’s Political Establishment” will not “shift”, it will eventually brutally subject with an iron fist!
A last desperate attempt by the people of Hong Kong to retain democracy and freedom. Who could possibly expect China under Xi to honour the agreement made with the UK? Communism is about power and control.
Hong Kong has been a thorn in the flesh of Communist China since Mao Zedong took power following which tens of thousands from the mainland fled to Hong Kong – where Rennies Mill Camp run by two women medical missionaries housed up to 20,000 refugees at a time prior to them going to Taiwan. At that time the administration and police were under British control – no riots necessary, but there is little hope that Hong Kong will remain a bastion of freedom with the ominous ogre in the form of Communist President Xi looming over it. The only question is how many will be crushed as in Tiananmen (Heavenly Peace) Square in 1989 – when military fire power killed thousands of unarmed protesters. The concept of freedom – whether freedom of the individual, freedom of the media or freedom of political choice, is anathema to the 19th century communist dogma.
The question now is which way China’s Political Establishment will shift.