Hong Kong Democracy activists protest against Extradition Bill

[PSOL]

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-hongkong-politics-extradition/huge-hong-kong-protest-expected-in-last-push-to-scrap-extradition-bill-idUSKCN1T9097

A committee of pro-democratic groups has raised turnout estimates and are now eyeing the biggest single-day rally since 2003, when a similar number of protesters forced the government to shelve tighter national security laws.

The march will end at the city’s Legislative Council, where debates start on Wednesday into sweeping amendments to the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance. The extradition bill is due to be passed by the end of the month.

After weeks of growing local and international pressure, the protest is expected to reflect the broad range of opposition to the bill, with many saying they simply cannot trust China’s court system or its security apparatus.

The Extradition bill would be killing off democracy far earlier than the official reintegration date, 2046 or so. I hope for the best that things change for the best of all Hong Kongers, the insane censorship should not stifle what is the great experiment in that little abode.

More Information on what the bill specifically entails

[urutzizu]

More the 1 million turned out to protest (according to organizers), way more then expected and more then double  those that protested against the national security legislation 2002.
Like the national security bill 2002, it seems to me as very sensible piece of legislation that has many safeguards that are barely mentioned in the media, such as:
-local independent judges will hear any case before extradition can take place
-noone can be extradited for political or religious offences
-noone can be extradited if they can face the death penalty

But rather it seems that the demonisation of this bill is focused solely on the issue that it is china and not its content, which is to ensure that violent criminals from the mainland cannot flee to HK to escape justice.

[PSOL]

More the 1 million turned out to protest (according to organizers), way more then expected and more then double  those that protested against the national security legislation 2002.
Like the national security bill 2002, it seems to me as very sensible piece of legislation that has many safeguards that are barely mentioned in the media, such as:
-local independent judges will hear any case before extradition can take place
-noone can be extradited for political or religious offences
-noone can be extradited if they can face the death penalty

But rather it seems that the demonisation of this bill is focused solely on the issue that it is china and not its content, which is to ensure that violent criminals from the mainland cannot flee to HK to escape justice.

The issue becomes apparent when people are arrested for “inciting violence and separatist ideas” or some other euphemism. This could work against many who don’t want to be tried in the mainland by local judges pressured to hand them over by an ever-flexing, uncompromising central government. I’d say the protesters have some merit of fear for such a transitory legislation.

[Dereich]

More the 1 million turned out to protest (according to organizers), way more then expected and more then double  those that protested against the national security legislation 2002.
Like the national security bill 2002, it seems to me as very sensible piece of legislation that has many safeguards that are barely mentioned in the media, such as:
-local independent judges will hear any case before extradition can take place
-noone can be extradited for political or religious offences
-noone can be extradited if they can face the death penalty

But rather it seems that the demonisation of this bill is focused solely on the issue that it is china and not its content, which is to ensure that violent criminals from the mainland cannot flee to HK to escape justice.

The issue becomes apparent when people are arrested for “inciting violence and separatist ideas” or some other euphemism. This could work against many who don’t want to be tried in the mainland by local judges pressured to hand them over by an ever-flexing, uncompromising central government. I’d say the protesters have some merit of fear for such a transitory legislation.

Exactly this. Just look at China's well-documented abuse of the Interpol red notice system against political dissidents.  It's clear that they'll use whatever charges they can to get their opponents sent to the mainland.

[Santander]

The Extradition bill would be killing off democracy far earlier than the official reintegration date, 2046 or so. I hope for the best that things change for the best of all Hong Kongers, the insane censorship should not stifle what is the great experiment in that little abode.

Hong Kong cannot be "reintegrated" into China because Hong Kong was founded by Britain. Hong Kong's liberal traditions are not an "experiment" - they are transplanted British values. The abomination known as "one country, two systems" is the experiment.

It also seems you have no idea what abode means.

[Beet]

Decades ago, there was a common saying, "Big Shanghai, Little Hong Kong." Now Hong Kong is an even more important city than Shanghai. The Mainland should be learning from Hong Kong's success and emulating it, not trying to make Hong Kong more like itself.

[Santander]

Decades ago, there was a common saying, "Big Shanghai, Little Hong Kong." Now Hong Kong is an even more important city than Shanghai. The Mainland should be learning from Hong Kong's success and emulating it, not trying to make Hong Kong more like itself.

Sadly, Shanghai has already re-eclipsed Hong Kong.

[PSOL]

The Extradition Bill has been put on indefinite hold

Swings and justice and whatnot.

[The Free North]

The Extradition Bill has been put on indefinite hold

Swings and justice and whatnot.

Fantastic news!

[2952-0-0]

Methinks the real reason the government backed off was because the Communist Party bigwigs use HK as a conduit to stash their gains. Xi Jinping's niece owns a luxury villa in one of its most luxurious areas, and any damage to the city's reputation as a global financial hub would damage their own portfolio. So it wasn't because they had a change of heart, they were merely protecting their own investments.

[jaichind]

In the end big capital blinked.  The Pro-CCP bloc in HK is a coalition of the old pro-CCP trade unions/associations, Chinese ultra-nationalists  like myself, and big capital.  Unlike 2014 umbrella protests where this coalition held together and saw off of the protests this time around big capital is not playing ball on the premise the ROI of such a move does not justify the protests it provoked.  Carrie Lam might have to go not to please the protesters but big capital.  The pro-CCP bloc in HK pretty much want to get this behind them so the can minimize the fallout into the 2019 fall district council elections.  If Carrie Lam have to fall on the sword for this to take this then so be it from the pro-CCP alliance point of view.

[PSOL]

In the end big capital blinked.  The Pro-CCP bloc in HK is a coalition of the old pro-CCP trade unions/associations, Chinese ultra-nationalists  like myself, and big capital.  Unlike 2014 umbrella protests where this coalition held together and saw off of the protests this time around big capital is not playing ball on the premise the ROI of such a move does not justify the protests it provoked.  Carrie Lam might have to go not to please the protesters but big capital.  The pro-CCP bloc in HK pretty much want to get this behind them so the can minimize the fallout into the 2019 fall district council elections.  If Carrie Lam have to fall on the sword for this to take this then so be it from the pro-CCP alliance point of view.

One can hope the protesters will one day place your ilk to the dustbins of history.

[GlobeSoc]

In the end big capital blinked.  The Pro-CCP bloc in HK is a coalition of the old pro-CCP trade unions/associations, Chinese ultra-nationalists  like myself, and big capital.  Unlike 2014 umbrella protests where this coalition held together and saw off of the protests this time around big capital is not playing ball on the premise the ROI of such a move does not justify the protests it provoked.  Carrie Lam might have to go not to please the protesters but big capital.  The pro-CCP bloc in HK pretty much want to get this behind them so the can minimize the fallout into the 2019 fall district council elections.  If Carrie Lam have to fall on the sword for this to take this then so be it from the pro-CCP alliance point of view.

One can hope the protesters will one day place your ilk to the dustbins of history.

Big capital lining up behind a communist party is one of the largest jokes of the 21st century. 

fat cats of all stripes should go to the gulag tbh

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

Last Week - Pompeo Urges China to ‘Do the Right Thing’ in Hong Kong Protests

U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo said China should “do the right thing” in dealing with protests in Hong Kong, urging all sides to avoid the sort of violence that has broken out as the demonstrations stretch into their eighth week.

“The president, I think, captured it right when he said that we need China to do the right thing,” Pompeo said in an interview Thursday with Bloomberg Television. “We hope that they’ll do that, we hope that the protests will remain peaceful.”

Today - https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1157025123511283712

[Frodo]

Glad to see that the Chinese government seems to want to avoid any reprise of the Tiananmen Square Massacre in Hong Kong. 

[HillGoose]

Liberate Hong Kong!

[Tender Branson]

Just a matter of time until Mainland China invades the city, buses the demonstrators to concentration camps where they will join the Uygurs and then re-educate them to become proper brainwashed Chinese citizens ...

[Gass3268]

The British should have given Hong Kong it's independence instead of handing it over to China.

[Crumpets]

I legitimately can't tell if Trump is trying to take credit for the protests here, or denying involvement because he supports the repression of the protests.

https://mobile.twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1161324294800121857

[Mr. Morden]

Ummm....

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1161325870516264961

[Storr]

Ummm....

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1161325870516264961

Wait...what? This leaves me with so many questions. Did he just reveal secret/classified information on Twitter (I know a Chinese state media newspaper already reported this, so maybe not?)? Why would people stay calm if troops are moving to the border? Why is he tweeting about this in a manner that does not mean really anything (pledging support for the protesters, saying there will be consequences for military intervention, etc.)? Is he just trying to get attention for himself?

[TDAS04]

Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Macao should form their own prosperous, democratic country.

[urutzizu]

It is indeed not classified information, it has been spread by the official chinese media already. Most likely the Beijing leadership is only trying to show strength, and trying to intimidate protesters, similar to the drills near Taiwan 1996. Chinese Troops are already stationed in HK since the handover, and they would simply use the Garrison there if they wanted to intervene. People are overreacting to this, they are not going to do another Tiannamen Square here. It is show, the Chinese government do this often.

[Insomnian]

It is indeed not classified information, it has been spread by the official chinese media already. Most likely the Beijing leadership is only trying to show strength, and trying to intimidate protesters, similar to the drills near Taiwan 1996. Chinese Troops are already stationed in HK since the handover, and they would simply use the Garrison there if they wanted to intervene. People are overreacting to this, they are not going to do another Tiannamen Square here. It is show, the Chinese government do this often.

Makes a lot of sense. Also keep in mind that if a show of force scares people away, it'll mostly be scaring away the most moderate/calm-headed people, and it'll mean the protests will be a smaller, more hardcore group of people who might be prone to causing acts of violence that can be easily broadcasted all over state media, further justifying to the public a harsher crackdown (which will only continue the cycle).

[Green Line]

Trump is doing the bidding of the Chinese government.  Trying to intimidate the protestors.