Chaos in Hong Kong as strikes, protests paralyse city

[Valin]

The Straits Times

Claire Huang Elizabeth Law

Aug 5 2019

HONG KONG - Hong Kong descended into chaos as several strikes and protests crippled traffic across the city on Monday (Aug 5), forcing flight cancellations in the financial hub amid a dire warning from Chief Executive Carrie Lam that the recent spate of civil disobedience has put the territory on edge. 

Officers in riot gear spent most of the day battling with protesters in at least 10 different areas, volleying multiple rounds of tear gas to disperse protesters who had either surrounded police stations or built barricades on roads. 

This is possibly the largest-scale act of civil disobedience since mass protests against a controversial extradition Bill began in early June. Hundreds of thousands heeded a call to industrial action, with many businesses either closed for the day or running on skeletal staff. 

(Snip)

* Senior Police Superintendent Kong Wing Cheung told reporters at a daily briefing on Monday that he personally believes there is no chance of a deployment of the People’s Liberation Army, adding that the police force has the full support of the government.

Separately, officials from the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office of the State Council will speak to the media on Tuesday in Beijing about the “current situation in Hong Kong”. This is the second time China is holding a press conference after a rare media event last week in which it threw its support behind the Hong Kong government.

 

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* Translation: the PLA is waiting to come in.

[Valin]

Aug. 5 2019

Hong Kong's leader has warned that the city is on "the verge of a very dangerous situation" after protesters blocked roads and paralysed train services during morning rush hour. More than 14,000 people from 20 sectors vowed to join a city-wide strike on Monday, its organisers said. Civil servants, who are ordered to be politically neutral, have reportedly agreed to take part. At the airport, more than 200 flights were cancelled amid disruption fears. The protests have now continued for nine consecutive weekends. After violent clashes on Saturday and Sunday, police again fired tear gas at protesters on Monday.