Receiving News of Kobe Bryant's Death in the Midst of Hong Kong Protests, a Spreading Virus, and a Lunar New Year

A blocked section of Portland Street next to Langham Place

While police nearby guarded a street blocked due to a long night of protests in Mong Kok, Hong Kong, a young man next to me exclaimed, "Whoah!"

When I looked at him he said, seemingly stunned, "Did you know Kobe Bryant died?"

"No. Wait, what?"

He showed me his phone.

He then expressed his shock over the news and shared how he had been a fan of Bryant since being a child.

Kobe Bryant has a large number of fans in mainland China as well. Patrick Brzeski reported on how people there were saddened by the news:

By mid-afternoon, local time, the hashtag devoted to Bryant's death on Weibo had attracted an astounding 2.4 billion views and tens of millions of engagements, making it by far the most widely read and discussed topic of the day.

The reports of Bryant's death seemed only to compound the dismay many millions in China have been feeling over the deadly coronavirus that has plunged the country into crisis during the family holiday season of Lunar New Year. A common refrain on social media was a plea wishing that 2020 could simply be started over. . . .

Just three days ago, Bryant posted a happy Chinese New Year message to his own Weibo profile, where he has 9.2 million followers. "Xin Chun Kuai Le to my dear friends in China!" he wrote.

Momentarily Raising the Pepper Spray Canisters in Yuen Long, Hong Kong

Tuesday evening I was so occupied in Yuen Long, Hong Kong, that I didn't eat dinner. Also that evening, some police officers on Castle Peak Road suddenly started shaking their pepper spray canisters and made it clear they were ready to use them. We were rather close to a local district councillor who was... pepper sprayed by police.

After midnight I found a good meal of dumplings & noodles elsewhere in Hong Kong. I expected that wouldn't be a problem. I did not expect the pepper spray threat at a location close to the Hong Lok Road light rail stop and down the road from where a recent protest rally was held.

Yet again, I want to spend more time composing my thoughts and photos regarding the rally and related events. For now I will just add that shortly after the police stopped blocking the area, the district councillor was cleaned up and seemingly in good spirits as he gave interviews. I believe he was later arrested. Still sorting out what happened that chaotic night.

Momentarily Raising a Gun in Tin Shui Wai, Hong Kong

Tonight I had dinner at a cheap Italian-style place in Tin Shui Wai, Hong Kong. Also tonight, at a nearby rally a police officer suddenly appeared in front of me and then raised his gun.

The food I ordered wasn't especially Italian. But I expected that, and for the price I was happy with it. I wasn't expecting the gun though.

I need more time to compose my thoughts and photos regarding the rally and related events. For now I will just add that the police officer soon lowered his gun without aiming it at anything. I don't know what concerned him. At the time I was more focused on him than whatever he was looking at behind me.

Graffiti and More Xiangqi at Soy Street

Although tear gas hasn't lately poured out of a pedestrian underpass on Soy Street in Mong Kok, Hong Kong, signs of the protests can still be found there.

Photo taken evening of January 16, 2020

And the xiangqi games go on as well . . .

Photo taken the same evening

From Tear Gas to Xiangqii on Soy Street in Hong Kong

Around 1 a.m. on the 9th of last November, police fired tear gas into a pedestrian underpass on Soy Street in Mong Kok, Hong Kong. The people on the other side likely weren't the intended target, but they still had to flee.

Such sights were common in Mong Kok during those days.

Where an older man had been sitting while wearing a gas mask, yesterday near midnight a crowd watched two men play a variation of xiangqi in which most of the pieces are initially flipped over to hide their identity and mixed up before setting them on the board.

That no gas masks were in sight or at all expected to be needed is one of the many signs of how much has changed in Mong Kong between two months ago and now.

Cats, Fashion, and Orwell All Bestselling Books in Hong Kong

At the Eslite Spectrum bookstore in Hong Kong, "1984" tops 5th place "If Cats Disappeared From The World" in the store's Top 10 Bestselling Fiction Books.

In the store's Top 10 Bestselling Illustrated Books another cat book, "Hong Kong Shop Cats", holds 5th place. It's topped by "Lives of 50 Fashion Legends".

Just some books selling well in Hong Kong to ponder . . .

A Face Mask Left Behind on New Year's Day in Hong Kong

I never intended to not post here for such an extended period of time. I certainly am not lacking in material or thoughts. I could post about fresh blood on a wall bordering a garden in Sheung Shui, a young woman stomping on a man's head in Mong Kok, or notes of hope in Central — all in Hong Kong.

For now, here is photo of a face mask, bricks, and a wheelbarrow in the middle of a street in Causeway Bay after a very large New Year's Day protest march and . . . more.

While the intended purposes of the items seem clear to me, I don't what exact event led to this state. I don't expect to ever know, but a chaotic scene seems likely. Plenty of such scenes played out on New Year's Day in Hong Kong. And more have since.

Before and After the New Year on a Street in Hong Kong

Just before 11 p.m in Hong Kong New Year's Eve at Sai Yeung Choi Street South seemed moderately usual:

Around 3 a.m. New Year's at Sai Yeung Choi Street South had a different feeling though:

Happy New Year.

Independence and Revolution Waving Above a Public Square in Hong Kong

On top of the Edinburgh Place Car Park looking out towards "The Grief of Us" protestor assembly last night

A Beatdown and a Blockade During Christmas in Hong Kong

As anticipated, there were large-scale protests yesterday in Hong Kong, and the protests continue today. I will post more about them later, including some of the ways they intermixed with the Christmas holiday spirit. For now, I will just share two photos I shared on Twitter recently along with the comments I made there.

I took the first photo not long before 2 a.m. this morning.

Man grabs a young woman's breast.
Crowd beats man.
Man pretends to be unconscious to avoid more pain.
Hong Kong's top riot police arrive.

The incident in Mong Kok didn't appear to have any direct connection to the protests, except that the large number of protestors around probably meant a more intense response, both from the protestors and the police. There is much more I can say and share regarding what happened, and perhaps that will happen as it touches on a number of issues. I will add that the only obvious involvement by the police was chasing away protestors in the area which enabled an ambulance to safely take the man away. I was told the young woman didn't wish to formally report the man. She did not trust the police would handle the matter fairly, which says a lot about how some people in Hong Kong view the police these days.

The second photo was taken several hours later.

If you thought that the protests in Hong Kong would be over by 5am today, you'd be wrong.

The photo was taken at Nathan Road also in Mong Kok. This certainly isn't the most remarkable photo I took of the recent protests, especially since they were far more intense earlier. But the scene is notable because the protests appeared to be lasting longer into the morning than some other protests that occurred in Mong Kok during the past couple of months.

Anticipating a Lively Christmas in Hong Kong

Compared to November, the protests in Hong Kong have been relatively calm lately. However, they continue, and there are signs they will soon intensify.

It could be a rather eventful Christmas in Hong Kong. 

Another Night in Hong Kong: Outside the Lai Chi Kok Reception (Detention) Centre

There were thousands. They were loud.

Perhaps the detained protestors in Lai Chi Kok heard them.