There is that old chestnut about not agreeing with your opponents but being obligated to defend their right to express themselves. That especially holds true today. Survey after survey has shown public nomination, which underpins all three plans being voted on in the "referendum", does not have majority support. In fact, Occupy Central seriously compromised itself by throwing out all the other moderate pan-democratic proposals as well as those put forward by groups close to the political establishment.

has given up all pretence of journalistic objectivity. It's not just promoting pan-democratic causes like Occupy's referendum but is effectively inciting the public against the government on all fronts.

But it's a free city. You don't have to support Occupy and to believe they have the right to do what they do. Ultimately the only way to contest their extreme positions is through the court of public opinion. Attacking the referendum portal, for example, just gives Tai and his supporters an excuse to extend the voting by a week. He previously said if fewer than 100,000 people voted, he would have failed and would call it a day. But thanks to the attacks and Beijing's ill-timed white paper, an overwhelming number of referendum voters is now guaranteed.