Hong Kong police dismantle barricades on 16th day of Occupy Central
HONG KONG, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- Police started removing barricades set up by the Occupy protesters on both sides of Hong Kong's harbor Monday morning.
The move to dismantle blockades on Queensway, Harcourt Road, Jackson Road, around the Arsenal Street police headquarters, and in Mong Kok, came as the student-led occupation of main roads in the heart of Hong Kong entered its third week.
The barricades were placed on lorries on the roadside ready to be taken away. Protesters in the area were not resisting the operation, but were monitoring the police action.
A number of helmeted police were on standby, while officers used loud hailers to tell protesters that they were not clearing the site, but only trying to retrieve equipment that belongs to the force and the government.
In Mong Kok, police successfully removed barricades at the junction of Argyle Street and Shanghai Street, enabling five lanes to reopen to traffic.
The move came after protesters had allowed the junction of Argyle and Portland Street to reopen.
But police attempts to remove barricades on Mong Kok Road failed after they were confronted by demonstrators there.
The police have again called on protesters to clear major roads of obstacles and reduce the size of the occupation zones.
Chief Superintendent Steve Hui also urged protesters to clear Queensway in Admiralty, to allow tram services to run normally again. He warned occupy leaders and other citizens against using social media to encourage people to expand the protests.
Hui also criticized protesters in Mong Kok, after another rowdy night in which scuffles broke out between police and people manning barricades.
He described Mong Kok as a "high-risk area", where troublemakers may gather. A total of 47 people have been arrested at the protest there so far, he said.
The Chief Executive, CY Leung, has said the government doesn't want to clear protesters from the streets unless it has to.
In an interview with local media, Leung said he doesn't regard the protests as a revolution, but believes they are part of a mass movement that has spun out of control.
Leung also said the decision to use tear gas on protesters in Admiralty a fortnight ago was made by the police, although he was involved in the general handling of the situation.
He said the police were trying different methods to get protesters to leave the streets, and they don't want to have to resort to force. But if that day does come, the police will use the minimum force required and would try to reduce the repercussions as far as possible.
He added that he doesn't want to see young people get hurt and reiterated that he would not step down, saying that wouldn't help resolve the political impasse.
***
On the other end of the Pacific, in the meantime, although with less media coverage:
Cornel West among protesters arrested in Ferguson
Published time: October 13, 2014 20:13
Corruption,
Crime,
Police,
Protest,
Rally,
Religion,
USA
At least 18 people, including author Cornel West, were arrested in Ferguson, Missouri on Monday as activists continued to protest police brutality more than two months after a local officer fatally shot an unarmed teen.
West — a renowned academic and former Harvard professor — was among a group of protesters engaged in an organized act of civil disobedience Monday afternoon outside of the Ferguson Police Department.
MSNBC reported that at least 18 individuals, including West and prominent faith leaders, were arrested from a group of roughly 130 that had assembled outside of the station.
NBC News reported from Ferguson that West and others had attempted to create a makeshift memorial outside of the police station on Monday for Michael Brown, a local teen shot two months ago this weekend by a Ferguson cop, but arrests began soon after when demonstrators reportedly breached caution time and advanced towards the station.
Protestors hold up their hands as the riot police move in during a protest at the Ferguson Police Department in Ferguson, Missouri, October 13, 2014. (Reuters/Jim Young)
Monday’s incident was the latest in a weekend of actions held during the last few days in the St. Louis suburb that activists are calling “Ferguson October.” Protests have also occurred in recent days in St. Louis, where a man was
fatally shot by an off-duty officer last Wednesday.
On Sunday evening, West told an audience at St. Louis University that he was prepared to be arrested for demonstrating.
“It’s a beautiful thing to see people on fire for justice, but I didn’t come here to give a speech,” he said at Sunday’s event.
“I came here to go to jail.”
Protestors stand in front of the riot police during a protest at the Ferguson Police Department in Ferguson, Missouri, October 13, 2014. (Reuters/Jim Young)
According to MSNBC, Rev. Osagyefo Sekou — a prominent author and pastor — was arrested during Monday’s demonstration as well. Authorities detained Sekou last month as well after engaging in an act of civil disobedience with other faith leaders.
Matt Pearce, a reporter for the Los Angeles Times, wrote on Twitter that the police station demo was "
highly coordinated" with "
organizers clearing paths, sending clergy in waves … willing to get arrested."
Activists have been attempting to draw attention to the widespread concerns regarding the excessive use of force by police officers, particularly against young minorities, and the lack of charges brought against Darren Wilson, the Ferguson officer who shot Brown in August. A grand jury is currently considering whether or not Wilson should be charged in the shooting.
MSNBC reported that roughly a half-dozen protesters were arrested elsewhere in Ferguson on Monday after blocking a major intersection. According to
CBS News, 17 arrests were made on Sunday.
