[To be fair, till now, state violence has been employed in quite a calibrated manner. Things appear to be markedly different from the bloody days of Tiananmen Square. Let's see.]
I/III. http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking_news_detail.asp?id=54103 Authorities accused of hiring thugs after clashes *(48 mins ago)* Chaos erupted in central Hong Kong Monday as dozens of masked men rushed barricades at the city's main pro-democracy site, sparking renewed accusations that authorities are using hired thugs to disperse demonstrators. Groups of men, many wearing surgical masks, descended on the front lines of the rally at Admiralty near Hong Kong's central business district, triggering clashes with protesters, just hours after police had moved in to take down some barriers. Demonstrators, who have come under attack from organized crime gangs known as triads at another flashpoint demonstration site in Mongkok, shouted: ''Weapons! Weapons!'' and "Arrest the triads'' as police struggled to impose order. Pro-democracy lawmakers rounded on the authorities over the clashes. "This is one of the tactics used by the communists in mainland China from time to time. They use triads or pro-government mobs to try to attack you so the government will not have to assume responsibility,'' Democratic Party lawmaker Albert Ho Chun-yan told AFP. "It seems that the police have duly removed some of the barricades to make way for the suspected triads to get through to the peaceful protesters,'' Civic Party lawmaker Claudia Mo Man-ching told AFP. One lawmaker on the scene of the clashes in Admiralty voiced concern over how the situation had "degenerated''. "From what I can see the police were helping the anti-Occupy actions more than the peaceful protesters,'' said the Civic Party's Kenneth Chan Ka-lok. Taxi drivers had also converged on the site with their cars, demanding the barricades be removed and other anti-Occupy groups chanted "Occupy is illegal''. Anti-Occupy protesters mainly dissipated as the afternoon wore on, while pro-democracy demonstrators rebuilt their barricades using everything from bamboo poles to sticky tape. But as police announced they would soon move to clear more "obstacles'' at both the Admiralty site and a secondary site in the shopping hub of Causeway Bay. "We will not eliminate the possibility of using minimal force or arrest actions,'' police senior superintendent Steve Hui Chun-tak told reporters. He said that three men had been arrested, one for assault and two for carrying offensive weapons. The demonstrators are calling for Beijing to grant full democracy to the former British colony and have brought parts of Hong Kong to a standstill over the last fortnight, prompting clashes with elements who oppose the blockades and widespread disruption. Despite repeated orders to disperse, the rallies have taken on an air of permanence, with tents, portable showers and lecture venues. It was the second time since the mass protests began that authorities had been accused of cooperating with criminal gangs. In previous clashes at the secondary site of Mongkok 10 days ago, police said eight of the 19 arrested had triad backgrounds. Furious pro-democracy protesters also accused the authorities of using thugs Monday. --AFP II/III. http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=30&art_id=150271&sid=43151088&con_type=1 *Crowd 'occupies' Lai's home and Apple Daily HQ* Kenneth Lau *Monday, October 13, 2014* A group of anti-Occupy Central protesters has launched a campaign to "occupy" the Ho Man Tin home of Next Media tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying as well as Apple Daily headquarters in Tseung Kwan O. Calling themselves the "Loving Country and Loving Hong Kong" group and the" Red Detachment of Women," they yesterday marched from Argyle Street in Mong Kok to Lai's residence escorted by four police officers. Although the action was initiated by a women's group, about half the 30 taking part were men. They arrived at 2.30pm, held a 20-minute "protest" and then broke up. They shouted outside Lai's home calling him a "running dog and traitor to China." They screamed: "You are the instigator of Occupy Central and the cause of society's chaos." The protesters also inserted joss sticks in three apples and set up a "shrine" for "worshipping" Lai. In Chinese tradition, such a ceremony is conducted for the dead. They also demanded that Lai receive their letter of complaint, but when told he is out of town they left peacefully. One woman claimed she was an Occupy Central protester on September 28 and suffered from a tear gas attack. However, she agreed with the police decision to use gas.She also accused the media of not giving the public the full picture. "Though the protesters raised their hands, they kicked at the police but the media did not mention this." She also would not dismiss the possibility of further action against Lai. About 20 protesters camped outside Apple Daily headquarters on Saturday night. They left at about 6am yesterday. III. http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=30&art_id=150270&sid=43151087&con_type=1 *Protests have 'spun out of control'* Eddie Luk and Kenneth Lau *Monday, October 13, 2014* Occupy Central has "spun out of control," Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying warned yesterday, but clearing the protest sites would only be "a last resort" and done with minimal force. If and when there was a clearance action, he said, neither he nor the police wanted any students hurt. And in an interview with TVB's On the Record - his first such appearance in the public eye since a civil disobedience push started three weeks ago - Leung insisted he will not quit office. "I believe that it would not help resolve the matter [even if] I stepped down," he said. "This is because students and Occupy Central participants have demanded the National People's Congress Standing Committee withdraw its decision and the implementation of a civil nomination mechanism, which are impossible to achieve," he said, referring to Beijing's approach to political reform and the 2107 election of chief executive. But the Federation of Students, Occupy Central and Scholarism, in a joint response, said the government was "out of control" for firing tear-gas at unarmed protesters and for unilaterally terminating dialogue with the students. As the chief executive, Leung should take responsibility for what happened and resign, they said. Police fired tear gas and used pepper spray during a series of protests on September 28. That was the same day Occupy Central was launched after students launched a week-long boycott of classes on September 22. Leung said the decision was made by the police commander at the scene based on the situation at that time. Asked what was the purpose of using tear gas, Leung responded: "We have relied on the police's professional judgment and training." But he added: "We are not passing the responsibility to the police." Leung said nobody who had been at home or in an office watching events on television could make a judgment call on the police commander's decision. As for who decided to cease using tear gas, he answered: "I was involved in the whole development. And the police did not use tear gas again when it was unnecessary, when the crowd did not storm the police lines again." Police said earlier that minimum force was used to maintain a distance between the protesters and officers and to prevent injury. On Occupy Central, Leung said it was a "mass movement" that has spun out of control. "The latest developments show that no one can decide the direction the movement goes or its pace," he said. Leung cautioned, however, that the movement should not be regarded as a "revolution." Asked why authorities have still not cleared the protesters, Leung said that while the government was aware of its duty to enforce laws "this incident is special and the government is concerned about students and their demands." The government and the police, he argued, have shown great tolerance in handling the situation. In a joint statement, the Hong Kong Journalists Association, RTHK staff associations, Ming Pao and Next Media criticized Chief Executive Leung Chun- ying for only accepting the interview with TVB. A spokesman for Leung's office said the interview was arranged after taking into account his working itinerary. -- Peace Is Doable -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth. 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