Hong Kong parliament in chaos as politicians start fighting

[FfFfFfFF 58,081]

Hong Kong’s legislative council descended into extraordinary scenes on Friday, with opposing lawmakers throwing placards and scrambling over each other to take control of a house committee that has been unable to elect a new chairperson.

The scuffles began after an earlier meeting ended and legislators rushed to take the empty seat, more than an hour before the house committee session was due to start. The incumbent committee chair, Starry Lee, reached the seat first and was surrounded by security guards.

Pro-Beijing and pro-democracy members crowded in, with chaos escalating and lasting for more than an hour.

Chu was physically removed from the room by four security guards, each holding one limb. Others were shown to be dragged or knocked down, and pro-democracy legislator, Claudia Mo, who was standing away from the melee, appeared to be hit in the head by a flying placard.

Source

[Bubblegum Bitch 18,934]

I LOVE fights in parliaments! 

[brizoda 4,176]

Happy people

[ltlmnstr 2,771]

Surprised the US government hasn’t thrown hands

But then again the protestors here bring guns

Freedom of speech with intimidation from guns isn’t freedom of speech.

[jezze0410 395]

This really is a tragedy. Our Legislative Council's design practically ensures that pro-Beijing parties have majorities, as half of the seats are not determined by popular vote, but by "functional constituencies" for which only leaders of industry can vote; pro-Democracy forces effectively have to win all the seats up for grabs to seize control of the legislature, and it's been described as a system in which citizens can only vote for the opposition. This means that only way pro-Democracy lawmakers can have any effect on the legislature is by filibustering, which the pro-Beijing lawmakers then use to brand them as incompetent/obstructive. 

I do believe in the value of an upper chamber that is non-elected which exists solely to criticise legislation but has no legislative power of its own, like the House of Lords in the UK. But they should have no role at all in a unicameral system.

[Maleficent 6]

“history does not repeat itself, but it does rhyme”

[vyniildisk 12,689]

with covid in full force omg what a mess

[NCgaga 4,345]

37 minutes ago, ltlmnstr said:

Surprised the US government hasn’t thrown hands

But then again the protestors here bring guns

Freedom of speech with intimidation from guns isn’t freedom of speech.

3 posts in, someone magically appears to somehow turn this around and try to make this about the US. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. 
 

gagadaily never fails. 

[BenG 19,908]

The UK shouldn't say anything because they simply do not have the moral high ground, given that there was 0 democracy when they colonised HK.

[ice bear 1]

it would be just a routine day in brazil

[jezze0410 395]

1 hour ago, BenG said:

The UK shouldn't say anything because they simply do not have the moral high ground, given that there was 0 democracy when they colonised HK.

While it was true that HK was not a true democracy under the British, it's not a valid reason for their non-intervention (not that they should intervene explicitly, since any foreign gesture of help will be milked by the Chinese as evidence for the democracy movement being the product of foreign interference, but they have every right to).

There is a fundamental difference in the social contract; we understood that we were a Crown Colony under the British and we had no legal basis on which to argue for greater representation, whereas as an SAR in China we were guaranteed in our de facto constitution to have a high degree of autonomy and the gradual implementation of universal suffrage. The British, as negotiators and co-signers of the legal contract which granted us the constitution, have a legal responsibility to make sure that the terms of the contract are met.

Re moral high ground, at last under the British, the legal system was respected, and the police force and the ICAC (anti corruption agency) were considered the best in Asia and the pride of HK; Chris Patten, the last governor, frankly did all he could a democracy (the last few governors' hands were tied, since negotiations about the handover were already in place and any concrete steps towards genuine free elections were seen as acts of aggression by the Chinese negotiators). Furthermore, the British also largely respected freedom of speech, freedom of the press and (by the mid 20th century) our culture, all of which have slowly been eroded under Xi.

No HKer would want to return to being a mere colony under the UK, and most of us would be fairly content if China simply respected the constitution that they helped draft (with the exception perhaps of article 23, the controversial national security law). But if we were forced to choose between the current system and our final days as a colony, most of us would choose the latter. 

[Woolfsmck 2,763]

Basically Bejing is fvcked leadership and Hong Kong knows it.

[BillieGOAT 5,272]

3 hours ago, NCgaga said:

3 posts in, someone magically appears to somehow turn this around and try to make this about the US. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. 
 

gagadaily never fails. 

Relax  

The majority of the site (from what I can tell) is from the US. People relate situations to what they know so that they can process things.. it’s human nature! I’m sure they didn’t mean any harm.