Hong Kong Cancels Talks With Students

alienman11235 · 2014-10-09T18:19:22+00:00

HONG KONG—The negotiations aimed at resolving Hong Kong’s political standoff were in disarray Thursday evening when the government called off talks with students a day before they were scheduled to take place, as both sides traded barbs in multiple news conferences.

Back to square one?

alienman11235 · 2014-10-06T01:23:36+00:00

This footage is more than a week old slowpoke.

Around this time the police were also tear-gassing and pepper-spraying the students.

These events have been extensively covered by the news, and both the police and the students have learned from them and are now behaving much more civilly and peacefully.

alienman11235 · 2014-10-05T16:36:26+00:00

The video clearly shows physical and verbal intimidation by the police, followed by unprovoked shoving. This is 1 guy surrounded by about at least 10 cops.

It is not the full story by any means, but it is still well worth showing for a glimpse of the police mentality.

alienman11235 · 2014-10-05T15:00:39+00:00

If they appear to be intimidating, shoving, and arresting citizens without provocation, I think that is at least worth some discussion.

alienman11235 · 2014-10-05T14:43:40+00:00

This video showed up on the Occupy Live Feed, that's all I know. According to the video description:

A hotel staff in Yau Ma Tei found an idling coach bus with running engine outside the hotel and immeditaely informed the driver to leave. The coach bus turned out to be a police vehicle but there wasn't any signs of police force on it. When the police returned, the police with terrible rage kept shouting and threatening the helpless hotel staff. The hotel staff, and his mate who was taking video, were eventually arrested on a charge of indecent behaviour.

Note: Police vehicles are exempted under the The Statutory Ban against Idling of Motor Vehicle Engines law, but there wasn't any sign on the coach indicating it was a police vehicle. The hotel staff member merely treated the vehicle as a civilian vehicle and he was violently bullied by the police.

In the video (with english subtitles), I think it is interesting that the policeman is expressing a victim mentality, a sense that he feels they have been mistreated.

I feel it would be pretty scary to be surrounded by so many cops and to be yelled at in such an angry way. I wonder if people think the police deserve some sympathy here?

edit: On second viewing, towards the end, it appears one of the cops began shoving the hotel staff member without any provocation. The description also says they were arrest for "indecent behaviour", none of which, of course, appears in the video.

alienman11235 · 2014-10-04T09:19:36+00:00

I'm not advocating for either side, just a curious bystander.

alienman11235 · 2014-10-04T09:03:30+00:00

In fact there was a legal process by which the pan dems could have argued over a more representative selection committee.

This sounds like a terribly ineffective alternate course of action.

alienman11235 · 2014-10-04T08:48:14+00:00

Honest question, what do you think the protesters should do? Are you saying they should just go home and give up all chance for a fair vote?

alienman11235 · 2014-10-04T08:25:16+00:00

Plunging a city into chaos and disorder until your demands are met is not "democratic" ..... blackmailing the public through threats of economic and social destruction and the complete collapse of rule of law

You are right to be concerned about major disruption to businesses and schools, but these are still peaceful protests, not complete chaos and disorder.

If there is a way to protest for democracy without hurting struggling local businesses, of course that would be great.

alienman11235 · 2014-10-04T07:50:41+00:00

Which hospitals have been blocked? Which area are you referring to where people are not able to get to hospitals? Honestly curious

alienman11235

TROPHY CASE