Police Beating Shocks Hong Kong Students

How far can you be pushed before you fight back?  In Hong Kong, pro-democracy student protesters have been pushed to the limit by a police beating of a student widely shown on television and social media.  So far, the Hong Kong Federation of Students and the Occupy Central with Love and Peace groups have shown remarkable restraint.  Their mantra, until now, was peaceful "civil disobedience"  as practiced by Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King.  But the arrest and beating of one of their own broke some students' non-violent resolve.  They stormed a tunnel outside the offices of the city's chief executive.  The result?  Riot police handcuffed and dragged dozens of students away in the worst violence since demonstrations began more than 2 weeks ago.

Clearly, Beijing has become frustrated with the protesters.  The Communist Party's newspaper, PEOPLE'S DAILY, condemned the students and said:  "They are doomed to fail..... illegal acts only result in more severe illegal activities, creating disorder and turmoil..... stability is bliss and turmoil only brings havoc".  In other words, shut up, go home or face arrest and prison.  Leung Chun-ying, Beijing's puppet leader in Hong Kong, said the pro-democracy movement "has spun out of control and has hurt the city's economic activities".

The violence and lengthy stand-off has divided the students.  Leader of the Hong Kong Federation of Students, Alex Chow, said his group had no role in the storming of the tunnel.  Another demonstrator denounced this action because "It gives the government an excuse to use force....... A group of protester's thinking is becoming increasingly radical and warlike.  They aren't thinking of this as a peaceful movement anymore".

From my perch on the west coast of British Columbia, Canada, it looks like the government in Beijing is playing a waiting game.  Promises to meet with students to negotiate demands?  Broken.  Guarantees to Hong Kong in 1997 of "one country, two systems"?  Broken.  Clearly, the Communist dictators in Beijing won't tolerate any challenge to their authority.  They proved that in Tiananmen Square, 1989 with violence and and death.  At least in Hong Kong 2014, government forces haven't yet reached that level of brutality - so far, they plan to drive the students beyond the limits of human endurance and surrender.  But if that strategy doesn't work?  Stay tuned for more.