Is the Mainland Chinese Army invading Hong Kong?

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1.7 million people in Hong Kong participated in the latest demonstrations. That is about 1 in 4 people in Hong Kong. China does not want to live up to its treaties regarding Hong Kong.

Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement started with the now-suspended extradition bill, which would have allowed suspects to be sent to mainland China to face trial, and has expanded to encompass a general concern that China is chipping away at the rights of Hong Kong residents.

The movement has five demands, including democratic elections and an independent inquiry into what it alleges is police violence in breaking up demonstrations.

For the first time during the summer's 11 weeks of protests in the Chinese region, authorities deployed two water cannon trucks to push back demonstrators — who again confronted authorities, taking to the streets on Saturday and Sunday. A cannon was fired at least once, though it didn't seem to reach demonstrators, who were building barriers across roads that were otherwise peaceful.

Most protesters eventually gave up Sunday, but the few who remained chased after police officers with sticks and rods. Six officers drew their weapons, and one fired a warning shot into the sky — an action officials said they had no choice but to take as they were surrounded by demonstrators. Still, the gunshot drew plenty of questions and criticism.

Authorities said they arrested 36 people — including a 12-year-old — for offenses including unlawful assembly, possession of an offensive weapon and assaulting police officers. On Saturday, police said they arrested 29 people for the same offenses.

Source: Hong Kong protest escalation: Tear gas, water cannons and a police officer firing a warning shot

China's military deployed fresh troops to Hong Kong on Thursday in what it called a routine rotation amid speculation that it might intervene in the city's pro-democracy protests.

Video broadcast on China Central Television showed a long convoy of armored personnel carriers and trucks crossing the border at night and troops in formation disembarking from a ship. Earlier, scores of soldiers ran in unison onto trucks, which the state broadcaster said were bound for ports and entry points into Hong Kong. A handover ceremony was held before dawn.

"This time the task has a glorious mission. The responsibility is great. The job is difficult," an unnamed major said to troops before they departed. "The time for a true test has arrived!"

Source: China deploys fresh troops to Hong Kong

If you ever wondered whether there are actually mouthpieces for Communist dictatorship in the US, the answer is yes.

Carrie Lam, Hong Kong’s embattled chief executive, formally withdrew the controversial extradition bill that sparked months of tense protests that played out on an international stage.

The bill allowing Hong Kong residents to be sent to mainland China for trials sparked massive protests that have rocked the city since June. Lam had suspended the bill, but protesters wanted it entirely withdrawn.

Source: Hong Kong’s Carrie Lam formally withdraws extradition bill

Hong Kong protesters being rounded up and herded onto trains by police.

https://twitter.com/jwwaholic/status/11 ... 6049063942

Yet another ally that America has turned its back on.

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The Hong Kong protestors know a friend of freedom when they see one:

Hong Kong had elections and the results are:

Anti-government protestors prevailed on Sunday after polls closed in Hong Kong and pro-democracy candidates clinched nearly half of the seats on the ballot.

So far, pro-democracy candidates have won 269 out of 452 seats in 18 district council races, while pro-Beijing forces, who previously held 73 percent of the seats, have only won 30. Voters came out in droves -- with a 71 percent turnout -- up from 47 percent four years ago in the same elections, according to the Electoral Affairs Commission.

"This is political annihilation for Beijing and it's going to have consequences that are going to reverberate not just in Hong Kong itself, but perhaps in China as well,"

Source: Hong Kong elections seen as win for pro-democracy candidates after massive turnout

Gordon Chang, the author of "The Coming Collapse of China," said Thursday that Beijing’s threats of taking "countermeasures" over the U.S. law backing the protests in Hong Kong are “laughable” and that the nation is in no position to "anger its best customer" as its economy slumps.

Beijing was quick to admonish President Trump and Congress for passing two bills aimed at supporting human rights in Hong Kong. The Chinese foreign ministry said in a statement that the bills will only "strengthen the resolve of the Chinese people, including the Hong Kong people, and raise the sinister intentions and hegemonic nature of the U.S.," and promised vague "countermeasures."

Chang said in an email that anything Beijing can do "will hurt itself more than us, and given how close its economy is to the edge of the cliff the regime could end up doing itself in by retaliating."

Source: Beijing's threats over bill supporting Hong Kong ’laughable,’ China expert says

Police fire tear gas and make 180 arrests as Hongkongers rally against national security law

Hong Kong police fired tear gas after protesters gathered in Causeway Bay to rally against the looming national security law announced earlier this week by Beijing.

Large photo gallery: https://hongkongfp.com/2020/05/24/break ... urity-law/

After a months-long break due to the coronavirus pandemic, tear gas returned to the streets of central Hong Kong Sunday, as police clashed with protesters over a proposed national security law.

Sunday's march was the first opportunity many Hong Kongers had to respond to the revelation last week that China's National People's Congress (NPC) -- the country's rubber-stamp parliament -- will bypass Hong Kong's legislature to impose sweeping anti-sedition laws that could drastically undermine civil liberties in the semi-autonomous city.

The anti-sedition bill, which will be debated and imposed by Beijing's parliament, not Hong Kong's, and will come into force regardless of what happens in the city in the coming weeks.

Historically, China does not respond well to international pressure. Indeed, part of the stated-motivation for the anti-sedition bill is Beijing's paranoia that Hong Kong has become a base for anti-regime activity fostered by malicious foreign powers.

Source: Hong Kong protesters have promised a 'miracle' but China's national security law seems impossible to stop

United Kingdom’s prime minister Boris Johnson has vowed to admit nearly 3 million Hong Kong residents in response to China’s efforts to impose a new national security law on the territory.

Making the pledge in an editorial published by The Times Wednesday, Boris Johnson said about 350,000 Hong Kong residents who hold British national overseas passports, as well as some 2.5 million people who meet the requirements to apply for them, would be issued 12-month renewable visas to live in the U.K.

That visa could clear the passage to British citizenship, but Johnson did not elaborate further.

“Many people in Hong Kong fear that their way of life – which China pledged to uphold – is under threat,” Johnson said. “If China proceeds to justify their fears, then Britain could not in good conscience shrug our shoulders and walk away; instead we will honor our obligations and provide an alternative.”

Large scale protests in Hong Kong resumed for the first time in months about two weeks ago, when the new law criminalizing anti-government movements was endorsed by the Chinese legislature. The national security law would alter Hong Kong’s mini-constitution, or Basic Law, to require the territory to enforce measures decided by China’s National People’s Congress (NPC) standing committee, a small body controlled by the ruling party that handles most lawmaking.

Source: Boris Johnson offers refuge, citizenship to 3 million Hong Kong residents

Beijing unveiled details of its new national security law for Hong Kong on Saturday, paving the way for the most profound change to the city’s way of life since it returned to Chinese rule in 1997.

At the time of the handover, China [in 1997] promised to allow Hong Kong a high degree of autonomy for 50 years under what is known as the “one country two systems” formula of governance, although democracy activists say Beijing has increasingly tightened its grip over the city. So it appears China is reneging on the deal.

China’s move to impose the law directly on Hong Kong, bypassing the city’s legislature, comes after a year of sometimes violent anti-government and anti-Beijing protests that mainland and local authorities blame “foreign forces” for fomenting.


Riot police guard detained anti-government protesters in the Causeway Bay district of Hong Kong, Wednesday, May 27, 2020.

Source: China unveils details of national security law for Hong Kong amid backlash