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Violent mobs with triad links threaten Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters
Sydney Morning Herald - October 4, 2014
Nineteen people were arrested, at least eight of whom had "triad backgrounds", police said early on Saturday, lending weight to furious accusations from pro-democracy groups that the violence was instigated by gangs who had been paid to provoke trouble and break up the demonstrations.
The violent scuffles, the ugliest scenes since police fired tear gas on crowds on Sunday, laid bare divisions within the community over the protests, which have paralysed major city blocks for a week. But it also revealed the depths of support for the exhausted democracy campaigners.
The protesters, which have occupied three separate sites across the city, came under pressure on multiple fronts on Friday in what appeared to be a concerted attack.
The confrontations in Kowloon's densely-populated Mong Kok, in particular, escalated into open violence as the night wore on. Earlier on Friday, a daytime lull had seen protest numbers at the Mong Kok encampment dwindle, after student-led groups had agreed overnight to enter into talks with Hong Kong deputy leader Carrie Lam.
About two dozen men then seized upon the chaos during a heavy burst of rain, and started tearing down barricades, tents and tarpaulins protesters had slept under for a week. Stranded buses and vehicles, which had been abandoned when the occupation first began, were driven away.
Overwhelming the light police presence that was patrolling the area, more men joined in and boxed in students and other pro-democracy campaigners at their last remaining tent, causing a tense stand-off.
Witnesses said the attackers punched and kicked protesters, while female protesters were grope and harassed.
Regardless of who the instigators were, they attracted a large group of dozens, if not hundreds, of others who joined in surrounding the pro-democracy tent, baying for blood, sometimes literally. "Kill!" was heard yelled from the crowd, while observers who tried to intervene were also threatened physically.
Many claimed they were ordinary Hong Kong residents who were fed up with how the occupation of the streets had disrupted their lives. Some were wearing blue ribbons, as opposed to the yellow-ribbon campaign that has become synonymous with Hong Kong's pro-democracy campaign.
"We are not organised at all. We are self-motivated," small business owner Chan Wai-wah said, while hurling abuse at the pro-democracy protesters, who had linked arms to form a human chain. "The shops here all pay so much rent, and the customers are gone because of these protests."
Despite frequent clashes in the crowd, police reinforcements were slow to arrive, prompting criticism from pan-democrat politicians. Police later denied accusations that they acted in concert with triad forces to break the protest, saying there was "no evidence" to prove this.
"When students were protesting peacefully on Sunday, police fired tear gas at them; but now, the police did nothing to the people who actually attacked the occupiers," Labour Party leader Lee Cheuk-yan said, adding the fact the attackers had apparent triad links made the government's indifference towards the attacks even more callous. "It has shown a big contrast."
But the desperate mood in the eye of the storm – where the besieged tent of a few dozen pro-democracy protesters had been holding out for hours in the face of threats and abuse – turned triumphant at about 7pm as it became apparent that the tables were turning.
Word spreading on social media, including Facebook, had seen supporters arrive in droves after work. Crowds swelled to the tens of thousands, completely engulfng Nathan Road and Argyle Road. In remarkable scenes, it was now the anti-Occupy agitators who had been surrounded, with crowds chanting loudly for police to arrest them.
"Hong Kong people have come from all corners. They know that we have been completely surrounded," said pro-democracy protester Prince Tse, a 28-year-old barista. "We are really touched. They have just finished work and literally ran here. We can feel Hong Kong is united."
One 32-year-old labourer, who wanted to be known by his nickname, Ah-Ho, said he came after work to help support pro-democracy protesters because "the triads had gone too far".
Standing in the human-chain protecting the pro-democracy protesters, Paul Ng, dressed in a dark-grey shirt and business pants, said he felt compelled to help when he saw what was unfolding.
"My office is right there," the 44-year-old auditor said, pointing to a nearby building. "So I decide to stand here and protect the students." He said he had attended rallies every night and had slept overnight once to show solidarity.
As the night wore on, police reinforcements arrived and began dragging away troublemakers in front of chanting crowds both for and against the pro-democracy protests, though pro-democracy supporters appeared to significantly outnumber the rest.
"I just live here and we work very hard just to make a living," said Liu Liping, 41, who opposed the pro-democracy protests. Ms Liu said she moved from Hunan province in mainland China seven years ago. "They don't represent all of Hong Kong. Hong Kong is already pretty good isn't it?"
Hundreds of thousands of people have turned out for pro-democracy protests in the past week after the Chinese government said it would reject calls for Hong Kong to directly elect its next leader. Protesters have been calling current Hong Kong chief executive Leung Chun-ying to step down.
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