Still Tilted in Hong Kong

The recent signs of protest have changed and lately are mostly removed. But some remain.

O Fortuna, the Wheel Brings Another Message

First there were ballerinas with umbrellas above "Free HK".  Then there was blackness. Now, there is a different message.

The "Stop Police Brutality" graffiti is on a number of beams on a pedestrian bridge connecting to the Central Piers in Hong Kong. In all of the examples I saw, they were placed directly on top of areas that had been painted black to cover previous graffiti.

It is now the predominant graffiti design on the bridge, though there is at least one example of partially symbolic graffiti expressing the protest slogan "Five Demands, Not One Less".

However, there appeared to be more examples of untouched painted-black areas than of recent graffiti. This is consistent with what I have seen in various parts of Hong Kong, whether Central, Tsing Yi, or Yau Tsim Mong. Newer protest graffiti, posters, and other forms of visible expression continue to replace older ones, but overall there is far less now compared to a few weeks ago.

And the wheel keeps turning . . . 

The Good Shop in Hong Kong

As one of Hong Kong's major shopping districts, you won't have problems finding a variety of items for sale in Causeway Bay. But if you simply want something good, there is a place on Lockhart Road to check out.

On the day I passed, items ranging from maneki-neko (Japanese lucky cat) figurines to stuffed toy carrots to sim cards. Perhaps the selection will change in the future, but it should still be good.

The Large Size of Hong Kong's Latest Protest March Captured in Tweets

After six months of protests, yesterday hundreds of thousands of protestors attended one of Hong Kong's largest recent marches:

Demonstrators returned in force, packing city streets to denounce [China's leader Xi Jingping's] government, rail against police brutality and reiterate demands for greater civil liberties, including universal suffrage. They beat drums, sang protest anthems and chanted, “Fight for freedom.” Though the march was largely peaceful, some demonstrators vandalized shops and restaurants and lit a fire outside the high court.

“We want Hong Kong to continue being Hong Kong,” said Alice Wong, 24, a biology researcher who stood among protesters gathered at Victoria Park. “We don’t want to become like China.”

As many as 800,000 people attended the march, according to Civil Human Rights Front, an advocacy group that organized the gathering.

The mood at the march was relaxed, with people taking selfies against a backdrop of the vast crowds. Children, some dressed in black, marched with their parents, holding hands as they shouted, “Stand with Hong Kong!”

I had expected that I would now be able to share photographs I had taken at the march. Unfortunately, a painful foot sprain kept me away from it. So instead, below is a series of tweets by a variety of people presented in the order they were tweeted. A few tweets hint at other aspects of the rally, but mostly they help provide a sense of the large number of protestors and their intensity.

The CHRF Human Rights Day march from Victoria Park to Chater Garden yet to kick off but Hennessy Road is already full of people #HongKongProstest pic.twitter.com/Wu5NoDW091

— Aria Chen (@ariahychen) December 8, 2019

Thousands of black-clad protesters from all walks of life start marching from Victoria Park calling for the government to response to the 5 demands, including democracy and setting up an independent inquiry committee. #antielab #hongkongprotests pic.twitter.com/I5iwNBrkh3

— Jessie Pang (@JessiePang0125) December 8, 2019

Holy shit, this is the view at Causeway Bay! It's a total gridlock on the march to Central. There's so many people everyone's only able to take a few steps a minute. Imagine being in the middle and you gotta pee#StandWithHongKong #HongKongProtests pic.twitter.com/kyEsKnC3a5

— woppa 🎗😷 (@Woppa1Woppa) December 8, 2019

#NOW #HongKong - 6 months on, HongKongers are still here.
Hundreds of thousands of #HongKongProtesters attending Human Rights Day rally organized by @chrf_hk right now. All six lanes filled with sea of black. #HongKongProtests pic.twitter.com/ClaN59sU9D

— Phoebe Kong 江穎怡 (@phoebe_kongwy) December 8, 2019

6 months into the protests (we were counting weeks initially), HongKongers are not giving in, showing in huge numbers for today protest organized by @chrf_hk . I believe today is another "million march" in Hong Kong. pic.twitter.com/8jHM2HWu3r

— LO Kin-hei 羅健熙 (@lokinhei) December 8, 2019

The crowd in causeway bay is moving very slowly pic.twitter.com/ToS1D5PvfH

— Aria Chen (@ariahychen) December 8, 2019

Here’s your majority, Carrie Lam. #standwithhk #sixmonths pic.twitter.com/CYAtYexhwP

— Denise Ho (HOCC) (@hoccgoomusic) December 8, 2019

The march just behind the front passing police HQ in Admiralty. There are so many protesters that tens of thousands were actually marching in front of the official front. This march now stretches several km from here back to Causeway Bay. pic.twitter.com/7fgUbrBZ6d

— Kong Tsung-gan / 江松澗 (@KongTsungGan) December 8, 2019

six months ago, there weren’t the “five demands,” and most wouldn’t have worn face masks to a peaceful march. so much has changed and we’ve swapped our black tees for dark jackets, but hongkongers are still here pic.twitter.com/5xKSLsdj4D

— karen cheung (@karenklcheung) December 8, 2019

Absolutely mind-blowing turnout for today’s march. The front of the march is about 4 subway stops from here. #HongKongProtests pic.twitter.com/XVoQQDvBIx

— Laurel Chor (@laurelchor) December 8, 2019

Moments of hopefulness and solidarity like these remind me of what I love most about Hongkongers and home. I just feel so proud and empowered. #HKProtests #antielab #HumanRightsDay #HongKongProtests pic.twitter.com/9SyRB4bMMi

— Jessie Lau (@_laujessie) December 8, 2019

Protesters urge eachother to retreat as the water cannon truck is spotted in Central. #hongkong #hongkongprotests #antiELAB #china The atmosphere at the endpoint remains tense but peaceful. pic.twitter.com/MmcjUd5yj9

— Hong Kong Free Press (@HongKongFP) December 8, 2019

This kid is so casual performing Hong Kong’s pro-democracy anthem 💁🏻‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/sStZk31T1w

— Rachel Blundy (@rachelblundy) December 8, 2019

Despite tens of thousands having completed the march and left at Central, the Causeway Bay section of Hennessy Road remains packed at 5:20pm.

Photo: iCable screenshot. #hongkong pic.twitter.com/BKb8bsC7GP

— Hong Kong Free Press (@HongKongFP) December 8, 2019

The drum circle makes its way past the Bank of China building and into Central. pic.twitter.com/8VUNWbjhcV

— Timothy McLaughlin (@TMclaughlin3) December 8, 2019

Lights out as the sun sets pic.twitter.com/AniV3ZPsOR

— Pak Yiu (@pakwayne) December 8, 2019

Nearly four and a half hour after the march started the streets of Hong Kong are still jammed with protesters. pic.twitter.com/wG9iiqv0yS

— Timothy McLaughlin (@TMclaughlin3) December 8, 2019

Police are clearing barricades and reopening roads in Central. Most protesters have left. #hongkong #hongkongprotests #antiELAB #china pic.twitter.com/99G5tdYyl3

— Hong Kong Free Press (@HongKongFP) December 8, 2019

Protecting the Traffic Control Boxes in Hong Kong

Several weeks ago around 3:30 A.M. on November 11, protestors lit an electrical traffic control box on fired on Nathan Road in Mong Kok, Hong Kong.

Many other traffic control boxes were decommissioned in one way or another during recent protests. This raises the question, "How does a city restore traffic control boxes while also not making them prone to similar repeat attacks?"

An attempt to address this question now exists at the intersection of Nathan Road with Kansu Street and Gascoigne Road in Yau Ma Tei, Hong Kong.

I didn't see any obvious way to open the barred protection. This may be a strike against usability, but that's probably the point.

O Fortuna, Painted Over

The ballerina for freedom is no more.

But the wheel still turns . . .

Precariously Photographing in Hong Kong

I hope he got a fantastic photo. At least he didn't fall.

Later I'll share photos not featuring photographers from today's police-approved (until they decided otherwise in the middle of it) protest march in Hong Kong that began in Tsim Sha Tsui.

From Tear Gas to Painted Records in Hong Kong

During the past several weeks in Hong Kong I have seen many people wearing heavy-duty respirator masks. Today was the first time they weren't being worn due to concerns about tear gas.

So that's kind of nice.

Later, I will share a number of protested-related photos from the past weeks. I held a number of them back due to wanting either to have a better sense of the protests or to wait for certain aspects of them to finish / reach a new phase. That seems to have happened, so more soon.

A Thanksgiving Dinner View of Police in Hong Kong

In the past, I have shared some of my Thanksgiving day experiences in different cities, such as drinking horse milk baijiu in Zhongshan and a rat running up my leg in Changsha. Like those times, today in Hong Kong offered me something new.

I observed the traditions by finding a buffet which included turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce. For a bonus, the restaurant staff kindly sat me at a location with a prime view of the world outside. As I ate way too much food, I had the opportunity to watch a number of police vehicles, sometimes with sirens blaring and likely containing Special Tactical Squads or Police Tactical Units, head southward.

Their activity was possibly related to a nearby protest rally. I later visited it and saw no outward signs of police in the immediate vicinity though. So for the first time on this holiday, I felt like I should give thanks that no police shot tear gas in my direction today.

O Fortuna, A Whirling Wheel in Hong Kong

Sors immanis
et inanis,
rota tu volubilis . . .

——————————————————————————

So now an explanation for those who would like one:

As I took the above photo today near the Hong Kong Observation Wheel, the opening section O Fortuna from Carl Orff's Carmina Burana came to mind and it stayed there for a while. Here is an excellent recording of the widely used piece, which many will recognize at least in part even if they don't know its name, with Robert Shaw conducting the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra & Chorus:

You can find the lyrics alongside an English translation here. The translation for the excerpt I shared above is:

Fate — monstrous
and empty,
you whirling wheel . . .

While much of Carmina Burana isn't as familiar to most people as the movement O Fortuna, it is certainly worth listening to in full while following along with a translation. There are even a few more references to the wheel.

Three Candidates With Shared Political Values and Fates Campaigning on Election Day in Yau Tsim Mong, Hong Kong

While taking a look at seven different polling stations yesterday evening during Hong Kong's District Council elections, by chance I came across three candidates while they were still campaigning.

One was Leslie Chan (Chan Ka Long), who was running for the Tsim Sha Tsui West constituency.

In front of iSquare

Speaking in both Cantonese and English, Chan made it clear he was supportive of the five demands made by many protestors in the city.


Another was Leo Chu (Chu Tsz Lok) who was running for the East Tsim Sha Tsui & King's Park constituency.

Alongside Nathan Road near Man Ming Lane

As Chu spoke to a couple of women, people campaigned nearby for other candidates.


The last candidate I saw campaigning was Ben Lam (Lam Siu Pan), who was running for the Mong Kok East constituency.

Outside Exit A of Prince Edward Station

Just 40 minutes before Mong Kok East's polling station a few hundred meters away would close at 10:30 p.m., Lam was greeting people as they left Prince Edward Station, where riot police stormed train carriages and beat people several months ago.

To my surprise, I later discovered all three candidates I happened to see were in the pro-democracy camp. Their results reflect the immense success of pro-democracy candidates across Hong Kong, as all three won.

So they all have reason to smile even more today.

Polling Stations With and Without Long Lines During a Record-Setting Election in Hong Kong

Hong Kong has just held its 2019 District Council elections. On Sunday morning and afternoon there were reports of long lines at polling stations.

Timelapse videos of long queues outside polling stations overwhelm my newsfeed. Here's another one in Taipo - northern district in #HongKong w/ highest turnout rate so far. Took me several mins to walk thru the whole line...still waiting to cast my vote. Turnout is the KEY today. pic.twitter.com/q4lWGBNEmW

— Phoebe Kong 江穎怡 (@phoebe_kongwy) November 24, 2019

Polling stations were open until at least 10:30 p.m. This evening I visited polling stations for seven different constituencies in the Yao Tsim Mong District roughly between 6 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. None had a line extending outside.

Tsim Sha Tsui West

Jordan South

Jordan West

Yao Ma Tei South

Mong Kok South

Mong Kok West

Mong Kok East

The same held true in some other locations, which had benefits.

Now: This is the best time to vote, I have the whole voting station to myself 😂 voted within 1 min. This station had 67.6% of assigned voters voted as of 8.30pm. Pretty high among other districts. #HKelections pic.twitter.com/jeT6UH8bQB

— Denise Tsang (@denise_tsang) November 24, 2019

However, there were still long lines at some polling stations not long before polls were to close, As long as people were in line before 10:30 p.m. the Electoral Affairs Commission said they would be able to cast a vote.

Regardless of when and where there were lines today, don't be fooled by my photos. People voted in record numbers. Early results strongly indicate the the pro-democracy groups made major gains against pro-Beijing groups. Words like "decimated" are already being used for the latter.

Still, many races have yet to be declared. More later, but it's already clear Hong Kong's people were very motivated to express themselves through voting after months and months of intense protests.