If only the people had guns this wouldn't be an issue. /s

I'm still not entirely sure how everything in Hong Kong is going down. Apparently many of the groups that originally backed the protests are heavily funded by US interests. You've got mostly middle class protesters waving american flags, pepe banners, and even signs pro-British takeover. The extradition law they're protesting is already a watered down version that's been practically tabled. (Meaningless, I know.) Also there's so many other situations going on right now, it's weird the amount of amplification this protest in particular is getting; Not just in the news, but on social media sites. I dunno.🤷‍♂️

As if the middle class can have no legitimate grievances? Anyhow, as the article says, 50% of protestors "self-identify" as middle class, which could mean anything.
As for US backing, a few hundred thousand bucks buying 1.7 million protestors ("middle class" protestors, no less) is a pretty good deal. I think gas masks, medical care, and helmets would eat up most of that.

BTW the South China Morning Post is owned by Alibaba Corp. and has uncomfortably close ties to the Chinese government. @redniangzijun might be the Chinese government, for all we know.

Not at all, but protesters gaining massive amounts of media traction in order to showcase the follies of anything left of pure privatization are a pattern I've come to be wary of.

This has been a long time coming. Ever since British rule ended in '97, China has been slowly inching its way to fully controlling Hong Kong. They couldn't do it then because Hong Kong accounted for a lot of the wealth generated by China in those days. But now they have Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Chongqing, and Shenzhen generating more money for China than Hong Kong ever did.

Travel for Mainlanders to Hong Kong were relaxed while Hong Kongers still had to go through strict protocols to get to the mainland. Essentially, mainlanders could buy everything they want in Hong Kong and take it back to Beijing or wherever at no cost. Hong Kong residents can't do the same.

It was events like these over the years that has festered in Hong Kong.

The TL;DR version of how these protests started was a man from HK murdered his girlfriend in Taiwan and fled back to HK where he confessed. Taiwan wants him tried in Taiwan, but HK and Taiwan currently do not have laws about extradition. Carrie Lam, the acting officer and representative for HK, said she and her governmental body will draw up an extradition bill. However, the bill has been very unpopular (80% citizen disapproval) among HK residents as well as Taiwan saying they will not accept any bills from China. Still, Lam tried to push the bill through without hearing from HK citizens. So, protests began in June. Things were peaceful, and then you have the small group of rioters.

Over the course of the two months, things have escalated between the black shirts (rioters) and the HK police. Black shirts throwing bricks and beating down/stabbing officers with umbrellas, while officers firing rubber bullets, tear gas, and also accused of hiring white shirts (pro-China people and sometimes Triad/other gang members) to assault the black shirts, journalists, or anyone who seems to not be on their side. Peaceful protests continue, but so do the violence on both sides.

Thank you, I'm aware of most of that. I think the biggest parallel I can think of for what's bothering me was the TeaParty Astroturfing in relation to the ACA, and how this astroturfed movement presented as an opponent, legitimized legislation that wasn't really what it was being sold as. Like I'm watching who this protest is being sold to and who it's resonating with, and there's these people on reddit/social media applauding the protesters when just a year ago they were also calling for the heads of antifa/BLM for blocking traffic. Ya know? There's this gap of dissonance in the popularity of presentation vs the normal response that seem to be covered with a band-aid of "commie china" that to me just screams manufacturing consent for a war or coup. India is practically gearing up for genocide. Sudan, Honduras, Puerto Rico all have been experiencing major protests with little attention. France's Gilet Jauns was largely ignored or marginalized. But Hong Kong has been getting some serious front and center attention in the trends over an extradition bill. I guess I'm just wondering where all this sudden compassion is coming from and how it's going to be used.