China Briefing | From protests to riots to lone wolf attacks. What next, Hong Kong?
- Don’t underestimate the depths to which adrenaline-fuelled students with a new-found sense of power will plunge
- Heed the words of Carrie Lam’s predecessor CY Leung and beware the lone wolves at our door
As someone who lived in Hong Kong for nearly 20 years and was proud to call the city home, I had an eerie, surreal feeling as I lugged my suitcase out of the MTR station in Times Square, Causeway Bay, on Monday evening.
Most shops were closed, neon lights dimmed and there were far fewer shoppers and office workers than usual thronging this bustling downtown area well into the night.
The chaos continued into Tuesday and Wednesday as schools and universities shut classes while the MTR shut stations and, during certain hours, even entire lines, due to the destruction and threats from the mob of rioters.
At the time of writing, even more troubling news was emerging that mainland Chinese students fearing for their safety at Hong Kong university campuses were being evacuated by bus and boat to the nearby city of Shenzhen. This followed a night of clashes between police and violent protesters at the Chinese University of Hong Kong campus.