HONG KONG PROTESTS_ Seven Weeks On, Hong Kong Protesters Remain Committed To Occupying Streets

Forbes

11/10/2014 @ 3:00AM 1,352 views

Seven Weeks On, Hong Kong Protesters Remain Committed To Occupying Streets

Now that the Hong Kong protests have entered their seventh week, supporters and opponents still agree on little but asking this nagging question: how long will the protests last? With one recently conducted poll suggesting that protesters are prepared to wait a year, both sides have dug in.

The government continues to hope that public opinion turns against the inconveniences caused by the encampments in the Admiralty, Causeway Bay and Mongkok districts. A recent poll by the Hong Kong-based Chinese-language Ming Pao newspaper indicates that 70% of Hong Kong residents want the protesters to stop occupying.

Various protesters over the weekend told me that they have seen little from the government the past 40-plus days to persuade them to abandon their position. They uniformly believe the resentment the protests might generate and the challenges of living on the streets are worth the trouble. “We have nothing but our voice and we must express it,” said William, 24, who has camped at Admiralty since September 28, when the first tear gas canisters were fired.

Like many who hold full-time jobs, William stays overnight to protest, going home only to shower and eat at least one hot meal daily. He works in the film industry and calls himself lucky in that both his family and employer support what he is doing, unlike many protesters who must conceal their activities or have seen their relationships suffer. With donations regularly streaming in to Admiralty, ranging from bottled water to bedding material, William sees no problem staying “as long as it takes.”

For William and others, only a major government policy shift on civil nomination would persuade him to stop occupying. Eric, 26, a fellow protester in Admiralty, said, “I’d go home if we were given civil nomination of the chief executive,” referring to a basic demand by protesters that nominations for Hong Kong’s highest government office not be solely screened by a pro-Beijing body.

Eric said that, unlike his parents, who grew up poor in Hong Kong but achieved middle-class status, he and his peers face dim prospects. “Now you can only get a good job if you know the right family or have a business connection,” he explained while on a break from his job in media. “We have no hope. That’s why we’re here.”

These sentiments cut across generations. Raymond, a 50-something Admiralty-based protester who moved back to Hong Kong in 1986 from Canada, stated, “I’ll be here as long as the students are here.” He said support extends far beyond the hundreds of protesters who stay on the streets.

“There is a 70-year-old woman from Sai Kung [located in the far northeastern New Territories of Hong Kong] who cooks dishes at home and travels here two or three times a week to deliver food,” Raymond noted. “I told her she doen’t need to do this.” But he said such encouragement bolsters their resolve to continue.

Indeed, one report identified the Hong Kong Federation of Students, the most prominent group leading the demonstrations and the official representative at the only installment of government-organized talks October 21, as the highest-rated political entity in Hong Kong, ahead of any political party.

Neither cooling temperatures nor the possibility of a police clearance dims the enthusiasm of those on the street. Some remarked that they have bonded with fellow protesters and feel a stronger conviction than ever before. Whatever eventually persuades them to go home, the stakes are surely rising.

Read more: http://www.forbes.com/sites/bongmiquiabas/2014/11/10/seven-weeks-on-hong-kong-protesters-remain-committed-to-occupying-streets/

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