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| Post 13 November 2019 |
How’s that for a headline?! “On the brink of breakdown”. Today’s print version of SCMP. (Here is the online version).
This in the wake of running clashes last night at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, my alma mater (class of ‘77) and on the streets on Kowloon side. It seems the rioters are using any excuse for a bit of mayhem. And the police get blamed.
TBF I think it’s a bit OTT. I mean, if you go to town today, as I’ll be doing shortly, it will seem normal, I’m sure. Thanks to the wonderful band of cleaners working overnight. Of course many people are feeling depressed and even PTSD: movie theatres and hotels are empty.ADDED (12:15 HKT): Well, I was wrong. Things are not normal. Many schools and all universities are closed and roads blocked all over the place so if you want to get to Kowloon you have to go the long way around via Tsuen Wan in the west. Only 100 out of 650 bus services are operating and a number of MTR stations closed. So I’m not going to town. I’ll stay in our little Discovery Bay bubble and go for a walk to the monastery to meditate in peace…The police and street cleaners must be feeling stressed out. And the quote above is from the police.
The report says “scores” of petrol bombs were thrown.
A report on “travel chaos”.
Meantime a bit of positive news: CNA is reporting that Hong Kong has regained the title of IPO capital of the world with the secondary listing here of Alibaba. $US 20 billion in money raised year to date. Said to be “a vote of confidence” in Hong Kong. People are talking about Hong Kong’s continuing place as the major financial centre focussed in China. If that breaks down we really are in strife.
