Advertisement
City Beat | Rules of the game have changed in Hong Kong’s protest crisis
- New tactics in the streets – and fresh approaches from city and central government leaders – still cannot break the impasse
- But beneath Beijing’s order to ‘clean up your own mess’ is an urgent call for action
Reading Time:3 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
Hong Kong, “Asia’s world city”, has become the battleground for a new type of urban “guerilla warfare” – defiant anti-government protesters have adopted a “flash mob” strategy, as evidenced in their hit-and-run rampage against police across several districts over the weekend.
Police have been changing tactics as well, standing firmer and rejecting most rally applications, which has seen all those angry young people continue to take to the streets in gatherings that are officially illegal.
The past week also saw an “awakened” Hong Kong government becoming publicly visible again, after Beijing began mobilising its forces in the city to counter the protest narrative and issued instructions to restore order in the city.
Advertisement
But the impasse remains, with no sign of a compromise from any side and no light at the end of the tunnel.
Beijing has other non-military ‘weapons’ in its arsenal that are powerful enough to shake up the city
With an embattled chief executive and an exhausted police force struggling to end the chaos, Beijing now feels obliged to step in, especially upon seeing a direct challenge to its sovereignty through the desecration of the national emblem and Chinese flag by protesters.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Select Voice
Choose your listening speed
Get through articles 2x faster
1.25x
250 WPM
Slow
Average
Fast
1.25x