Friday, 3 October 2014

The protesters have joined all the barracades using tie straps.  I'm not sure about the motivation, but it might be dual purpose.  Firstly, prevent police vehicles from entering the protest areas.  Secondly, prevent protesters from using them for violent purposes.

These barracades are just outside the Jardine House on the edge of the financial district.

A second layer of barracades follows about 250m later.

Friday had hard rain in the afternoon in Hongkong.  There is a typhoon (hurricaine) off the coast of South Japan and North Philippines that is causing some atmospheric instability.  This is normal in the later summer and early autumn in Hongkong.

Some students at a pitstop are seen here trying to stay dry after a long day.

Some new artwork tonight on the walk to the center of the protests.

Here are a few more "Support Democracy in Hongkong" signs.

Tagalog is a major language of the Philippines, primarily around Luzon island and Manila City.

In the same building as the Hongkong branch of the Indonesian National Bank, hundreds of sticky notes were used to create some artwork.  I have no idea why the managers & owners of this very commercial Hongkong-style cafe (Fairwoods) allowed this display.  Hooray!

My favourite slogan sign has held strong through torrential downpours and days of boiling sunshine -- "Hongkong Refuelling".

The character with a "Do Not Enter" is (very) shorthand for CCP -- Chinese Communist Party.

A view from above the protesters on the new overpass leading to the new government center.

On the otherside of the overpass, I was above the center of the protests.

My Chinese is a bit too weak to translation well, but I will try.  Roughly, the translation follows: "Under this place, there is no road; then, many people walked here, and it became a road."

On the curved stairs from the road to the overpass on the government building side, protesters have hung thousands of brightly coloured sticky notes with inspiration messages.

Another angle, closer.

One more for this incredible displa of spirit.

Looking back from another overpass into the center of the government center protests.

One hunded meters outside the main protest zone, some students relaxes at the expressway junction.  A massive ten meter tall banner hangs in the background with just two Chinese characters: Democracy (民主).

About five hundred meters outside the center, the scene is decidedly more sedate.  As this road is a primary expressway on Hongkong Island, there are limited entrances and exits, so the protesters (in cooperation with local police) have closed large sections.