Hong Kong and the protests: harder and harder

Three announcements sent Hong Kong government to the city's newsrooms on Sunday night:

• In the working-class district of Yuen Long, a large group of demonstrators gather. The police are on their way.
• In Aberdeen, Mong Kok and five other districts had come to hit-and-run protests, roads were blocked and shops were devastated. "Citizens are advised to move as quickly as possible and to pay attention to their safety."
• The central bank warned of "malicious rumors" in social media. Yes, it takes longer than usual to get paid. But the banking system is "robust", and the institutions are liquid. No reason to panic.

Even if it sounds different: The night for Sunday has been relatively quiet. Twice as many and more dramatic warnings had been issued during the nights before. But the silence on Sunday morning just felt like a respite.

On Friday, Prime Minister Carrie Lam imposed a disguise prohibition - in the context of a contingency ordinance, which grants her the right "to enact any kind of regulation that she considers desirable in the public interest".

DPA

Carrie Lam, head of government of Hong Kong, has issued a cover-up ban - the protests against it are large

This ban, possibly just a first step towards a much tightened security regime, will dominate Hong Kong political debate and the overall situation in the coming days.

• What exactly does the muffling ban mean?

Wearing masks during demonstrations is prohibited in many countries, including Germany. In the US, a law has been in place since 1843. In Hong Kong, the ordinance has literally come into force overnight: since Saturday morning, any masked participant in a protest can be punished with up to one year's imprisonment or a fine of up to € 2,900. Even passersby who are only on the verge of a demonstration and refuse to take off their mask, threatens a penalty of up to six months.

• Why is the ban so controversial?

The law was passed by decree, without consultation with the opposition in Hong Kong's semi-democratic parliament. It should be submitted to it only on 15 October. Since the governing parties have a majority there, it is virtually certain that it will be confirmed. This fatal reminder of the controversial extradition law, whose planned introduction in the spring, the protest movement in Hong Kong had just ignited.

This was "a situation like Henry VIII's," outraged pro-Democrat MP Dennis Kwok: "I'm the law, and I say when the law stops to apply, so our Constitution does not work." On Saturday, Kwok and 23 other MPs petitioned for a restraining order against the law. On Sunday afternoon, the High Court dismissed the application, but announced that it would negotiate again later.

• Is the law enforceable at all?

Not really. In recent weeks, the police had repeatedly banned demonstrations. Nevertheless, tens, sometimes hundreds of thousands have taken to the streets. As little as the police succeeded in arresting every participant in these protests, they will not be able to arrest any masked person, let alone any passerby wearing a mask. The law is apparently intended to be dissuasive. But nothing indicates that this will work.

• Why are the demonstrators masking each other?

While many protesters in the pro-democracy umbrella protests of 2014 went unmasked to the streets, almost everyone now covers their faces. The main purpose is to hide their identity, especially from surveillance cameras and police espionage. Many protesters fear that their faces could end up on the servers of Chinese authorities.

For the so-called front liners, the hard core of the protesters, the masking serves a dual purpose. "If you wear the gas mask," one of them says, "you're not only protected against pepper spray and tear gas, you're also part of a group, you're just a part of it."

• What is Beijing's ban on disguise?

The Hong Kong government's action was "legitimate, meaningful" and "extremely necessary," said the Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Region (PSC) in Beijing on Friday. "The current chaos in Hong Kong can not go on indefinitely, it is time to take a clear stance and take more effective steps to stop violence and unrest immediately."

Some Beijing-loyal parties and organizations in Hong Kong go further. They also call for other emergency measures introduced in 1922 under British rule and last used during a bloody 1967 riot: curfews, press censorship, seizure of private property, and facilitating home searches.

If Hong Kong's government meets these demands, a further escalation of the crisis is predicted. The Emergency Ordinance of 1922 was "an ancient, colonial set of rules," said attorney Martin Lee, one of the co-authors of the 1990 Hong Kong Basic Law. "You do not use that unless you can not legislate yourself. then there is no end. "