Hong Kong protests gain steam ahead of talks with government
LatestStudent protesters in Hong Kong are standing their ground against government orders to disperse.
A judge granted two injunctions on Monday against pro-democracy demonstrators, siding with taxi drivers who argue that the protesters are an inconvenience and must clear the streets. The students, however, have vowed to stay put.
The three-week old protests appeared to be dwindling late last week, but renewed clashes between police and students over the weekend seems to have cemented resolve on both sides. Police reportedly used pepper spray and batons to break up the crowd, but demonstrators refused to budge.
The clash started with a surprise raid by police trying to clear the streets. The protests have grown particularly tense in the working-class neighborhood of Mong Kok.
The increased tensions come as government officials prepare to talk with pro-democracy students — a promised dialogue that the government has already canceled once. Students say they are open to the meeting, but not confident it will lead to real change.
Students are calling for free elections in 2017, and for Hong Kong Leader CY Leung to resign. Neither demand is likely to be met, analysts say.
Hong Kong officials and the Chinese government have criticized students for disturbing the peace. Authorities have shown no signs of compromising with student demands. In a television interview on Sunday, Leung blamed the protests on outside rabble-rousers — a sentiment echoed by the Chinese government.
Student leaders dismiss the claim. “The only overseas relationship I have, is my Korean cellphone, my U.S. computer and my Japanese gundam. Of course, all of them are made in China,” Joshua Wong said on Twitter.
Emily DeRuy is a Washington, D.C.-based associate editor, covering education, reproductive rights, and inequality. A San Francisco native, she enjoys Giants baseball and misses Philz terribly.