Tensions Continue to Rise in Hong Kong Protests

LewisTsePuiLung/iStock Editorial/Thinkstock(HONG KONG) — Tempers flared Monday around the main Hong Kong protest zone in Admiralty as the massive blockade of the area’s central business district enters its third week.

Around 1:30pm Monday, several dozen men wearing surgical masks to conceal their identities marched up to the western barricades of the protest zone and started forcibly dismantling them with knives. At the same time, another large of group of taxi drivers from the Hong Kong Taxi Union and group of truck drivers marched up converged on opposite ends of Queensway, a blockade artery that runs parallel to the main protest site.  

On the eastern end of Queensway, a long line of taxis with signs reading “Protect Our Livelihood, We’ve Had Enough” gathered as a dump truck with a crane broke through as pushed the protesters’ barricade down half a block.

At the western barricades, taxi drivers voiced their complaints to the pro-democracy protesters that began gathering there for a standoff. The taxi and truck drivers told the students that they initially supported them but after two weeks of unable to make a decent living because of the blocked roads, they’ve had enough.

While the Hong Kong Police, who also removed some outlying unmanned barricades earlier in dawn brief dawn operation, held the anti-Occupy protesters at bay and dispersed most of the masked men and the drivers, law enforcement are now caught in between the Occupiers and the Anti-Occupiers, trying to keep the peace.

The students were demanding for police assistance, a far cry from the anti-police sentiments immediately after the deployment of tear gas on Sept 28.

Protesters in recent days have allowed some cars and trams to pass through Queensway with supplies and even signaled that they may open up this main traffic artery to ease congestion woes.

However, since Monday afternoon’s incursion from anti-Occupy factions, protesters from the main Admiralty site have been moving in, redoubling their efforts and reinforcing their  blockade.

Protests dwindled once again over the weekend, with only an estimated 200 protesters at the main site  Monday morning. After recent events, however, the number of Pro-Occupy supporters is expected to spike again.

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