Hong Kong Democracy Movement Survives into Week Two | WPN World People News

Hong Kong protesters ignored the government’s ultimatum to quit their occupation of the Central business district for the start of the workweek Monday morning, but they created pathways allowing workers to reach their offices. After the night passed and riot police did not try to forcibly remove the demonstrators before dawn as some feared, the number of demonstrators again ebbed as the day began.

As the sun rose over Hong Kong Monday morning, an incredulous cheer spread among the hundreds of students who had slept the night on the financial district’s streets.

Just a week after riot police fired tens of teargas canisters at the democracy activists, many were unsure the campaign would get this far.

A recently awoken Jane Chow, 27, is one of those. She remains skeptical about the government’s intentions, and expects riot police to use force to evict the protesters in the coming days.

“That’s very likely to happen, yes. But if they're smart they won’t do it in a way that is overly violent. Even if the government tries to clear out the protest, I don’t think that at least on the side of the protesters there will be any violence,” said Chow.

Demonstrators say they believe the reason Hong Kong’s chief executive did not send out forces to clear the streets is because students met one of the leader’s two conditions for negotiations to begin: allowing civil servants back into the central government office complex.

By 9:00, hundreds of functionaries were flowing out of the nearby metro station to their office, with student marshals ensuring them a clear path. One lady, who refused to give her name, was unimpressed. She berated the activists for not allowing workers to resume their duties sooner.

The elderly government cleaner complained the students do not realize that these are hard times and that she and other government workers have jobs to do and livelihoods to protect.

Overseeing the marshals, Lam Ming concedes it might be increasingly hard for the movement to maintain community support. He insisted, however, that the activists have not made too many concessions to Hong Kong leader Leung Chun-ying, with nothing to show in return.

“You can say that we concede quite substantially in letting civil servants come to work. It is [now] their responsibility to give way on the negotiation table. I don’t think in the foreseeable future the protesters will be willing to concede the roads,” said Ming.

Not all is back to normal in Hong Kong. Schools and businesses remain closed and demonstrators, whose numbers rise and fall throughout each day, say they will remain in the streets until Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying resigns and the authorities allow free elections. For now, neither side is willing to back down in a continuing political brinkmanship that is being closely watched around the world.

Source: Voice of America