Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Hong Kong, Non Violence Works

The Hong Kong protests are in their fourth month. That is a long time. That is a testimony to how utterly unresponsive the authorities in Hong Kong and Beijing are to the ordinary people in Hong Kong. That just proves the point, that the entire Hong Kong legislature and the Hong Kong Chief Executive need to be directly elected by the people of Hong Kong.

One of the five demands has been met. If that demand had been met on day one, or during the first week, that would have been that. But now one is not enough. All five demands have to be met.

Time is on the side of the protestors. Beijing can not afford to drag this on indefinitely. But the protestors must be organized enough to be able to say we do not engage in violence, we do not engage in property damage. Not only does non-violence work, but that is also the only thing that will work.

The five demands are clear. The protestors do have the option to shut down the city completely. If a near-total shutdown is not working, perhaps a total shutdown will.

The protest movement can not degenerate into mob behavior. That will show a lack of political organization, lack of political strategy, lack of leadership.

Since no good police and military options are available, the authorities in Beijing and Hong Kong might be tempted to engage in vigilantism. They might organize and fund small groups of violence-prone people to do their dirty work for them. An incident here, an incident there. They already have done that a few times. That is no solution. The authorities must recognize there is no physical solution to this. There is only a political solution. The political dialogue must be initiated. Small groups of people not wearing uniform doing the dirty work for them is not the way out. That will only bring confusion and chaos.

Both sides must refrain from violence.

In making conscious efforts to not engage in violence, you take the movement to new heights.

Hong Kong protests: man seriously hurt after attack by anti-government demonstrators as street fights between rival groups erupt People trade blows and verbal abuse, with outbreaks of violence occurring mainly in the North Point and Fortress Hill area...... Ugliest incident involved unarmed man being attacked by a mob of black-clad masked protesters .........















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