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Silent majority should speak up to stop the violent protests

By Paul Yeung | China Daily HK | Updated: 2019-08-08 16:20

Residents take part in a rally at Victoria Park, Hong Kong, Aug 3, 2019 to show their support to the city's police, while wishing for the return of peace and order in Hong Kong. [PHOTO / CHINA DAILY]

The campaign against the extradition-law amendments has recently worsened, from expressing views to violence. Everyone would agree that the widespread protests are getting out of control. Although the police are trying their best to control the situation, it is hard for them to stop the violent protests altogether. From the recent cases, we saw the protesters playing cat-and-mouse games with the police. The protesters retreated upon each firing of tear gas but advanced again with the aim to draw out the police at multiple locations simultaneously to frustrate and wear them down. Indeed, the police can protect us only by dispersing the rioters or arresting them, but it does not seem the protesters will go home anytime soon.

Does it mean that the radical protesters cannot be stopped? Not really. Though some of them are violent and dangerous, most of them behave in such a radical way because they think they have a lot of supporters behind them. Hence, the critical part is the silent majority, who could come forward to say "no" to them.

It's not too late for some members of the public to change their minds. At the very beginning, some of them may have been sympathetic to those young protesters who dared to express their views on the street. However, more and more intensifying violent acts are pushing Hong Kong into a hazardous situation. The nature of the protests has been distorted into a rampage, which is harmful to the whole society. There are three reasons why the silent majority must come forward to stop the radical protesters.

First of all, it's about public security. The unleashed chaos and violence across Hong Kong over the previous week threatened the life of many ordinary people. Though the protesters aimed to act against the government and police, they deliberately chose to spread disorder into residential areas. Let's take the Monday chaos as an example. The protesters targeted seven districts and launched attacks at some of them. They even threw gasoline bombs into the police station's compound and again targeted the disciplinary service quarters nearby, where officers' families live. This act not only directly threatened the residents nearby but also created security risks. For instance, their actions triggered street fights in North Point and Tsuen Wan, and this threatened the local communities. Hong Kong has long been the safest city in the world. However, continual violence is turning the city into a dangerous place.

The second point is a socioeconomic concern. The strike on Monday threatened the livelihoods of the working class. Most Hong Kong people who need to earn a living are disturbed by the "non-cooperation movement". They chose not to take part in the strike but were forced to do so. MTR services ground to a halt during the morning rush hour as protesters blocked doors to stop trains from leaving. Buses stopped as some major roads were blocked. Airport services were affected as well, with some 250 flights canceled. The radical protesters should realize that what they are doing is only hurting their fellow citizens.

Last but not least, it is a political reason. Though the protesters urged the government to refrain from labeling protests as riots, their actions ironically told the government that it's not even a riot, but a revolt. Those protesters claim what they do as "Liberate Hong Kong; revolution of our times". This political claim is spray-painted everywhere. Moreover, their actions, like defacing the national emblem and tossing the national flag into the sea, are clear political moves to express that they are targeting national sovereignty. That means they are challenging "one country, two systems". The campaign has gone beyond its original opposition to the now-dead extradition bill and escalated into an anti-national revolution. The supporters should clarify whether they are supporting such a movement.

If the protesters keep going beyond the limits of civility, it will undoubtedly destroy the city's prosperity and stability. All the people in Hong Kong will pay the bill for them. From the latest announcement by the central government, we get a clear message that it is determined to uphold "one country two systems" in Hong Kong. All Hong Kong residents should come together to ask the protesters to go home and save Hong Kong.

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