HONG KONG – The sky has gone dark in Hong Kong.
The city still hums with the riot of artificial light and the sounds of commerce being conducted from every corner.
But it’s that dark sky that seems more important just now.
The police have taken up positions in and around the central government office building with what appears to be riot gear. They’ve ordered the tens of thousands of peaceful protestors to disperse immediately. In response, more people are coming to the demonstration. It’s hard to see how this ends well.
And what is the issue at stake that has the world’s emerging superpower preparing to take aim and fire at its own people? A simple notion of democracy.
That the person running Hong Kong should be voted in by the people, not chosen by the communist party in Beijing. For that, China is prepared to bring down the hammer and sickle.
Under the darkened sky, the protestors are walking, singing, smiling, unaware or unworried about what the regime is about to do, whether that’s tonight or in the days ahead. The West supports them a bit. Few if any western nations use the word ” democracy” when claiming they stand with the people of Hong Kong. But the people on the street don’t seem bitter about it. Perhaps the democracy activists here expected that. Extolling the virtues of democracy seems so much easier for western nations in places like Syria and Afghanistan than for China. Principle is one thing but business is business.
So what happens now? We will know shortly.
But if democracy loses here, at least they gave it a hell of a shot.
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