Hong Kong children form chains of protest as economic worries grow
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[September 09, 2019]
By Jessie Pang
HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hundreds of uniformed
school students, many wearing masks, formed human chains in districts
across Hong Kong on Monday in support of anti-government protesters
after another weekend of clashes in the Chinese-ruled city.
Metro stations reopened after some were closed on Sunday amid sometimes
violent confrontations, although the mood in the Asian financial hub
remained tense.
Early on Monday, before school started, rows of students and alumni
joined hands chanting "Hong Kong people, add oil", a phrase that has
become a rallying cry for the protest movement.
"The school-based human chain is the strongest showcase of how this
protest is deep rooted in society, so deep rooted that it enters through
the school students," said Alan Leong, an alumnus of Wah Yan College in
the city's Kowloon district.
Three months of protests over a now withdrawn extradition bill have
evolved into a broader backlash against the government and greater calls
for democracy.
Police said they had arrested 157 people over the previous three days,
including 125 males and 32 females aged 14 to 63, bringing the total
number of arrests to more than 1,300.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2019/Sep/09/images/ads/current/pestcontrol_bch_termites.png)
The former British colony is facing its first recession in a decade as
the protests scare off tourists and bite into retail sales in one of the
world's most popular shopping destinations.
Tourist arrivals plunged 40% in August year on year, said Paul Chan, the
city's finance secretary, with sustained clashes blocking roads and
paralyzing parts of the city. Disruptions at the city's international
had also hit the tourism industry.
"The most worrying thing is that the road ahead is not easily going to
turn any better," Chan said in his blog on Sunday, noting that some
hotels had seen room rates plunge up to 70%.
Activists started fires in the street and vandalized a Mass Transit
Railway (MTR) station in the main business district of Central on Sunday
after thousands rallied peacefully at the U.S. consulate, calling for
help in bringing democracy to the special administrative region.
The students, brandishing posters with the protesters' five demands for
the government, called on authorities to respond to the promises of
freedom, human rights and rule of law, promised when Britain returned
Hong Kong to Chinese rule in 1997.One of the five demands - to formally
withdraw the extradition bill - was announced last week by embattled
leader Carrie Lam, but protesters are angry about her failure to call an
independent inquiry into accusations of police brutality against
demonstrators.
U.N. human rights chief Michelle Bachelet urged people to protest
peacefully and called on authorities to respond to any acts of violence
with restraint.
The protesters' other demands include the retraction of the word "riot"
to describe demonstrations, the release of all those arrested and the
right for Hong Kong people to choose their own leaders.
A journalist wearing a hard hat and protective goggles at a police
briefing condemned the use by police of pepper spray against media over
the weekend.
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![](../images/090919pics/news_p33.jpg)
Secondary school students hold hands as they form a human chain as
they demonstrate against what they say is police brutality against
protesters, after clashes at Wan Chai district, in Hong Kong, China
September 9, 2019. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
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'CRUSHED'
In a rare public appearance, Lam walked around the central business
district with the city's Transport and Housing Secretary Frank Chan
and MTR officials to inspect the damaged station, where she chatted
with staff and commuters.
Dressed in a black suit, she examined electronic ticketing machines
and boarded up windows smashed the previous day, according to
footage by public broadcaster RTHK.
Following the demonstration at the U.S. consulate on Sunday, Hong
Kong's government warned foreign lawmakers not to interfere in the
city's internal affairs after thousands of protesters called on U.S.
President Donald Trump to "liberate" the city.
Hong Kong returned to China in 1997 under a "one country, two
systems" formula that guarantees freedoms not enjoyed on the
mainland. Many Hong Kong residents fear Beijing is eroding that
autonomy.
China denies the accusation of meddling in the city and says Hong
Kong is an internal affair. It has denounced the protests, accusing
the United States and Britain of fomenting unrest, and warned of the
damage to the economy.
Chinese state media on Monday said Hong Kong was an inseparable part
of China and any form of secessionism "will be crushed".
The China Daily newspaper said Sunday's rally was proof foreign
forces were behind the protests and warned demonstrators should
"stop trying the patience of the central government".
Pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong was released from police custody
after breaching bail conditions following his arrest in August when
he was charged along with a number of other prominent activists for
inciting and participating in an unauthorized assembly.
A senior U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the
United States was monitoring events.
"The freedoms of expression and assembly are core values that we
share with the people of Hong Kong, and those freedoms must be
vigorously protected. As the president has said, ‘They’re looking
for democracy and I think most people want democracy’,” the official
said.
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(Reporting by Jessie Pang, Anne Marie Roantree, Donny Kwok and
Twinnie Siu; Additional reporting by Joseph Campbell in Hong Kong,
Roberta Rampton in Washington and Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva;
Writing by Farah Master; Editing by Lincoln Feast, Robert Birsel)
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