HONG KONG UPDATE 20 NOV 2019
Related reading: https://the50-person.tumblr.com/post/189516596318/hong-kong-update-20-nov-2019
19 Nov 2019 0340-0350: Epoch Times facility attacked by masked individuals carrying police batons. CCTV shows them messing up the place.
0351: PolyU. Food running low but probably enough left to last the remaining crowd a few days.
Education Bureau. Classes resumed at primary and secondary schools. First day back at school.
0730: MTR. MTR announces that Kwun Tong, Island, Tseun Wan, East and West Rail lines are all experiencing delays due to train doors being obstructed and damage to station facilities.
0810: Tin Shui Wai. 1 schoolgirl arrested at TSW MTR stn.
0815: Kwun Tong. 2 schoolboys arrested by riot police near Kwun Tong swimming pool.
0832: Tseung Kwan O. Riot police questioning schoolboys at MTR stn. Unclear if arrested.
After masks were banned in early Oct, schoolkids protested in large numbers and police largely backed off. Now the anti-mask law has been ruled unconstitutional by High Court, police target the schoolkids.
Suspicion that the higher-ups felt that the denouement of the CUHK siege was seen as an unacceptable encouragement to ‘violent rioters’, hence the PolyU siege and stepped-up targeting of youth.
Unclear if trying to provoke more protests to justify postponing/cancelling District Council elections or moving to a more severe stage of crackdown.
Morning: Tin Shui Wai. 3 secondary students arrested at Tin Wu light rail stop. The girls attend Chinese YMCA & CCC Fong Yun Wah Secondary Schools, the boy’s school is unknown.
Morning: MTR. A fight broke out at Tin Shui Wai station in the morning forcing its closure, and the obstruction of train doors on Kwun Tong, Tsuen Wan, Tseung Kwan O and Island lines caused delays, the city’s rail operator said.
Large queues formed at the interchanges of Kowloon Tong, North Point, Mong Kok and Yau Tong as the impact of the direct action took its toll on the morning commute.
The first trains of the day on part of the East Rail line were delayed for staff to clear several objects off the track near Fanling, including a bicycle hanging from an overhead cable.
Trains skipped Yuen Long station in the morning because of protester disruption. Tactics included stopping trains leaving by blocking doorways and opening emergency doors.
At Diamond Hill station, where carriage doors were not closing, more than 100 passengers were unable to board trains during the rush hour.
Hung Hom and University MTR stns remain closed. Tin Shui Wai and Yuen Long MTR stns closed this morning.
Morning: MTR. Some middle-aged men pull a highschool girl inside a train and beat her up. Before another guy comes to her rescue and stops the attacks.
Several roads still closed, having been barricaded by citizens, and the Cross Harbour Tunnel in Hung Hom remains closed due to extensive damage to facilities.
0946: Tsuen Wan. Riot police show up in large numbers at gates of Po Leung Kuk Lee Shing Pik College.
Its student concern group says riot police had “entered the school premises” after arriving at the scene of a protest held outside the gates. Some 50 pupils had tried to stop their peers entering the school from 7am in an attempt to “pressurise” management into suspending classes indefinitely until “society returns to normal”. 2 vans of police in full riot gear turn up and check the identities of students, including two pupils on site, the concern group said. No one is arrested and police do not enter the campus.
0954: Kowloon Tong. At Kowloon Tong station, hundreds of commuters have to line up along the stairs all the way onto the concourse as train services are delayed. MTR staff have suggested people try other means of transport.
1004: MTR. Oct ridership dropped more than 25% from 2018 figures; Airport Express dropped 43%.
1005: PolyU. 3 more ppl arrested outside campus. Police siege continues.
Posted 1005: Among several reported arrests of schoolkids on their way to school today, at least 5 documented arrests on their way to school in the morning. 3 other cases in which students were stopped by riot police but unclear whether they have been arrested.
1011: PEN Hong Kong issues urgent appeal to police upon knowing that renowned HK writer Tang Siu Wa has been arrested at PolyU.
Posted 1107: Two more photos of secondary students stopped & searched by riot police on their way to school this morning, both cases inside MTR stations. It appears one of the girls was arrested; reason unknown. So far, 5 confirmed arrests of schoolkids this morning, 4 other possible ones.
Posted 1121: MTR. Rear emergency doors of trains opened at North Point and Quarry Bay stns, and Yau Tong stn.
North Point action resulted in delays of 15-20 mins on Island Line btwn Kennedy Town and Chai Wan. Quarry Bay action resulted in delays of 15-20 mins on Tseung Kwan O Line btwn North Point and Po Lam and Lohas Park. Yau Tong actin resulted in delays to Kwun Tong Line.
Posted 1132: Most of the police stop&searches & arrests of schoolkids this morning occurred at/near MTR stations. Kwun Tong, Island, Tsuen Wan, East & West Rail lines were delayed due to protesters obstructing doors. Perhaps police suspected the kids of being involved.
Posted 1205: Kwun Tong. Students marching in masks through the streets of Kwun Tong & blocking roads on their way to school this morning. About 100 pupils in Kwun Tong marking their return by disrupting traffic at the junction of Hip Wo Street and Tsui Ping Road. Some blocked roads with bricks, rubbish bins and metal railings as they called for the government to meet all five demands of the protest movement. Riot police arrived on the scene.
1230: Six MTR lines were blighted by service delays or station closures for much of the morning. There remained disruption on the East Rail and West Rail lines, as of 12.30pm.
Morning: PolyU. Remains under siege. Campus resembles a disaster zone early on Wednesday with unused petrol bombs, cans of petroleum gas, loose bricks and protest equipment scattered across the ground, while many buildings had glass windows and doors smashed in. It is understood those on the campus were still exploring ways to escape, including via manholes.
By 20 Nov, no first aid volunteers could be seen inside the campus.According to education sector lawmaker Ip Kin-yuen, who was inside the campus at the time, about 40 of the medical volunteers left on 19 Nov night. They were not arrested as they departed, but police told them they might face investigation in the future.
1313: Central. Lunchtime protest. Similar to 19 Nov, police in large numbers to prevent protest from taking place. More and more citizens gathering on pavements. Blue flag.
1358: Tai Koo, Kwun Tong. Lunchtime protests.
1415: Central. After 1.5 hours, police corner their first citizen. Search his bag and check his ID. Guy is eventually let go after an extended exchange in which the police act irrationally. He shares with reporter what the convo was about:
Police: Leave!
Guy: My office is here.
Police: You’re interfering with my colleague’s work.
Guy: How?
Police: You must leave or we’ll arrest you.
1428: Central. A minibus driver shows support for citizens in Central, raising his hand symbolising ‘5 Demands Not 1 Less’ while passing through Pedder St.
News is released about former UK Consulate worker Simon Cheng who was abducted, illegally imprisoned and tortured in China back in August 2019. His safety is threatened if he reveals what happened but he has decided to share the details in spite of that. Super harrowing.
Cheng was subjected to repeated physical and psychological torture and forced to give ‘confessions’, and almost broke completely while in detention. He has trauma now.
There is very disturbing evidence pointing to the very likely possibility that Hong Kong citizens are being silently transported to China for extrajudicial imprisonment and torture with no certain return date. Cheng was treated more gently nearing the end because of international attention and the interference of UK. Don’t want to imagine what happens to the others who are caught, and who are simply ordinary citizens.
Stress positions, sleep deprivations, beatings etc. Forcing eyes open to unlock phones via facial tech.
Several frontline Telegram groups appear to have been compromised by Cheng. I am not sure if these ppl are aware and have de-assembled and regrouped. I hope they have.
“Then I saw around 10 young “criminal suspects” who were receiving interrogations in the centre. They are all handcuffed and in orange prisoner vest. When I walked through the corridor, I heard one voice shout out from one of the questioning rooms: “raise your hands higher! Didn’t you raise your hands and wave the flags in the protest?!” I guess they were torturing Hong Kong protestors. “
“While escorting me out of the “collective investigation centre”, I saw one young girl who was doing the enrolment procedure (handcuffed, wearing prisoner vest, body check, etc.). The secret police who was handling my case clearly stated that: “honestly, she is one of the scums who was caught because of joining the anti-government protest in Hong Kong”. He asked if I knew and recognised her, I shook head.”
“The secret police clearly stated that batches after batches of Hong Kong protestors had been caught, delivered and detained in Mainland China, so they collected and mutually verified the information amongst different sources and detainees.”
UK considers Cheng a security risk and has fired him. He is now offered a 2 year work visa to UK as a temp escape but this is of little help because China is now after him and UK is offering minimum assistance despite the fact that Cheng was arrested BECAUSE of his work under UK Consulate. He was monitoring HK protests for them. Being personally sympathetic to the movement, he also organised some stuff to support the protests in personal capacity.
UK Consulate gets dissed online by HKers after everyone sees how they treat their consulate staff.
BBC report: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-50457262
Simon Cheng’s own account on FB: https://www.facebook.com/notes/cheng-man-kit/for-the-record-an-enemy-of-the-state/2490959950941845/
Posted 1651: PolyU. 21yo named Jacky is trapped in PolyU. Wants to leave, doesn’t want to surrender to police, but there is no way out. Came to campus to support frontliners but isn’t one. Regrets not leaving campus earlier but says would still enter campus if given another chance.
Hygiene situation inside campus is terrible. Jacky was sleepless for the past few days because he was very mentally tense. Every day he uses his phone to watch the news or loiter around the campus to find escape routes, but he has failed so far.
Refuses to surrender because that would mean being charged for ‘rioting’. Jacky feels that he only chanted slogans and cheered, and that it is unreasonable to charge him for that. (Note: ‘Riot’ is a very unreasonable and outdated thing from colonial times but obvsly HKSAR gov keeps it so that they can use it against citizens. Making other ppl responsible for another individual’s crimes is stupid.)
1659: PolyU. Trapped citizen gives presscon. He says he is part of a team of ~40 who have unanimously decided to stay until the end with no plans to surrender of escape. He is 16. The youngest in his group is 12. HKFP reports around 50 left inside. A 15yo is armed with a bow and arrow.
19yo HKBU student from Kazakhstan Nukpi Abilkaiyr among those arrested on 18 Nov night on suspicion of possessing a Molotov in Yau Ma Tei. That was when tens of thousands were trying to break the PolyU siege. Unsure if he really was participating in the rescue or if he’s deliberately made a case to intimidate ppl and countries.
Refused bail today pending further hearing in Jan 2020, despite intervention from Kazakh consulate. LOL bullying smaller consulates. They don’t dare to bully Japan (they let the Jp guy go) but bully Kazakhstan. Then again, they also bully Germany, by arresting 2 Germans and torturing them. What’s new.
1704: PolyU. Another medical evacuation.
Anonymous has hacked into Chinese websites and databases, dumping usernames, mobile numbers, emails, passwords, IPs, etc. They call it OpHongKong and vow that it will continue until HKers’ demands are met and HK is free.
4 Chinese mongodb databases have been hacked and user data has been donated to vigilante.pw.
Anonymous (at least, the spokesperson of the grp who is behind this round of hacking) says they breached the servers on end of Oct and throughout early Nov, argues that if HK ppl fall then Taiwan is next, which may possibly precede a WWIII. Shares that other members subscribed to the idea of Anonymous within the collective are sympathetic to the HK protests and view the Chinese dictatorship as a threat. Judging from their interview, seems well-informed about China, Taiwan and HK affairs as a whole, which either means they are HKer/Taiwanese and/or interested in current affairs.
Police: If the force had used in June every weapon and strategy available to it for extreme deterrence, the unrest would not have continued and developed to the current state.
Ummmm no. They still don’t understand how HKers function. This flys in the face of all the data we have from HK, interviews, public opinion surveys, and the idea of repression backfire.
1736: HKU. Students conducting a dialogue session about the protests and reflect upon how things have come and about lines that one does not cross. They reflect that everyone is increasingly more accepting of more radical elements, but emphasise that they draw the line, stating that violence should be used for self-defence and innocents regardless of political stance should not be harmed. Once again, the students reiterate a similar position that has been stated by the wider base on LIHKG and Telegram.
2110: PolyU. Police point torch at campus from bridge outside and shout abuse.
2138: PolyU. Medical sector LegCo member Pierre Chan is escorting what is believed to be the last 7 volunteer medical workers from PolyU. he escorted 30 out last night. They will be required to provide ID to police but not arrested at this time. They decide to retreat after medical squads began to provide services to those trapped inside.
2250: HK gov intends to appeal the ruling that its mask ban is unconstitutional. Which is absolute rubbish because unconstitutional = unconstitutional and the point of ruling it as such was to prevent abuse, yet the gov is asking court to allow it to keep smth that runs counter to the law?
Rule of law indeed. *snorts*
2327: HK Secretary for Food and Health told LegCo at Q&A session that there is no evidence that teargas poses public health risks.
I’m…this flies in the face of all the evidence and accounts of ppl falling sick, the chloracne, etc.
Can ppl just stuff her face with teargas-laced apples and see if she dares to complain?
Gov continues to refuse to disclose composition of teargas, claims that it fears that it will affect police operations. ???? How does that even compute? Gov won’t tell you what’s inside and how toxic it is but on 19 Nov it released a statement with advice on what to do if you suspect your food is contaminated with it. :)
Night: PolyU. Police arrest 2 men climbing out of a sewer in a nearby street. Police also arrest 3 men and 1 women who remove the manhole cover to help them surface.
Those trying to flee via sewers took torches, rope, first aid kits and water and tried to use weak phone signals to track progress. Some groups also carried spray cans to mark tunnels for other groups.
There are snakes and cockroaches inside and water levels rise with tides, making it important to move fast and go at the right times. The distance can look short above ground but it takes very long to travel underground.
