# Hong Kong, 2047, and the current protests. **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [June 16, 2019, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hong-kong-2047-and-the-current-protests/835620 "2019-06-16T22:12:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2019, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hong-kong-2047-and-the-current-protests/835620/61 "2019-07-26T05:24:13Z")
Post WW2 Britain could have tried to make HK independent, failing that Britain could have instituted democracy back in the 1940’s. It was only in the final countdown to the handover, that Britain even pretended to start some democracy. The Basic Law was formulated IIRC in 1984. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2019, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hong-kong-2047-and-the-current-protests/835620/62 "2019-07-26T05:33:30Z")
> [@China\_Guy](#): > > Post WW2 Britain could have tried to make HK independent, failing that Britain could have instituted democracy back in the 1940’s. It was only in the final countdown to the handover, that Britain even pretended to start some democracy. The Basic Law was formulated IIRC in 1984. I’m not sure that would have kept Hong Kong out of China’s hands. Being on the very doorstep, a PLA invasion would have been esssentially impossible to fend off. Sure, China would have faced international censure but chances are that would have just blown over in a few years, like how nobody cares about Russia and Crimea anymore. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2019, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hong-kong-2047-and-the-current-protests/835620/63 "2019-07-26T06:26:58Z")
I read somewhere that the difference between the French and the British Empires is that the British left behind effective administration; the French left behind coffee shops and bakeries. Based on my travels, I’d say that’s about right. The problem is that the UK left behind administration, but not a sense of self-determination. I mean, have the British ever been interested in any of their colonies being independent? ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2019, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hong-kong-2047-and-the-current-protests/835620/64 "2019-07-27T05:24:56Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > I’m not sure that would have kept Hong Kong out of China’s hands. Being on the very doorstep, a PLA invasion would have been esssentially impossible to fend off. Sure, China would have faced international censure but chances are that would have just blown over in a few years, like how nobody cares about Russia and Crimea anymore. I’m not saying that China would have left HK independent. But had there been a 50 year history of voting and representation, China might have tolerated some of it. No need for an invasion. Turn off the water and food coming in from China, and game over. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2019, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hong-kong-2047-and-the-current-protests/835620/65 "2019-07-28T22:11:12Z")
I remain surprised that this thread hasn’t seen more interest and activity; this is big stuff IMO and it continues to escalate daily: [Police fire tear gas, rubber bullets at Hong Kong protesters](https://apnews.com/2bbb3f1cbb5648b4aed0b85db4144ea1) > [@](#): > > Police in Hong Kong fired tear gas and rubber bullets repeatedly Sunday to drive back protesters blocking streets with road signs and umbrellas in another night of pitched battles in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory. > > It was the second night in a row that tear gas was used in escalating pro-democracy protests. The demonstrations began early last month to voice opposition to an extradition bill that has since been suspended, but the movement has grown to encompass a broader push for full democracy. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2019, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hong-kong-2047-and-the-current-protests/835620/66 "2019-07-28T23:23:08Z")
I think many people in Hong Kong, especially the younger ones, must believe that this is truly their last chance. The longer they waited, the more pervaded Hong Kong would become by the Chinese government, and the less able they would be to extricate themselves from the yokes being used in Xinjiang on the Uighurs. It’s sad that it can’t end well. There is no escaping 2047. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2019, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hong-kong-2047-and-the-current-protests/835620/67 "2019-07-29T00:00:23Z")
By 2047, China taking over Hong Kong may not be much of an issue; by then, China may well have taken over everything else already. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2019, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hong-kong-2047-and-the-current-protests/835620/68 "2019-07-29T00:49:43Z")
Hong Kong is alone. Even if the US claimed it wanted to get involved in assisting HK, what leverage do we have now? What are we gonna do, impose tariffs and economic sanctions on China? What kind of pressure is an increasingly isolationist UK going to bring to bear? Who’s going to step up to put pressure on China? Who would punish China if it cracked down on HK like it wants to? Probably no one. To be sure, China doesn’t want a spectacle, especially not now. But it’s hard to see how HK pushes China back. There will eventually be a price that’s too high for these protestors and their families to pay. And the protests will stop. ---
**Author:** ![Stowed\_Bob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stowed_bob/32/3312_2.png) [@Stowed\_Bob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stowed_Bob)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2019, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hong-kong-2047-and-the-current-protests/835620/69 "2019-07-29T07:44:14Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > Hong Kong is alone. > > Even if the US claimed it wanted to get involved in assisting HK, what leverage do we have now? What are we gonna do, impose tariffs and economic sanctions on China? What kind of pressure is an increasingly isolationist UK going to bring to bear? Who’s going to step up to put pressure on China? Who would punish China if it cracked down on HK like it wants to? Probably no one. US could revoke the Most Favored Nation trade status and have goods made from there go from costing practically nothing to ship to actually costing money. A surprisingly high amount that’d put a major dent in their economy and the US’s. But it’d actually hurt China directly, as oppose to tariffs. They won’t, but they could. If Congress consented. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2019, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hong-kong-2047-and-the-current-protests/835620/70 "2019-07-29T17:03:12Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > Hong Kong is alone. [China doesn’t think so](https://apnews.com/9e943323758a42de8431a5b45aef1839) and will now undoubtedly take steps to ensure that Hong Kong is, in fact, alone. > [@](#): > > Yang Guang, spokesman for the Chinese Cabinet’s Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office, said at a news briefing that some “irresponsible people” in the West have applied “strange logic” that prompted them to be sympathetic and tolerant to “violent crimes” while criticizing the police force’s “due diligence.” > > “At the end of the day, their intention is to create trouble in Hong Kong, make Hong Kong a problem to China, in order to contain China’s development,” Yang said, without mentioning any specific individuals or countries. > > He added that such attempts will come to nothing because Beijing will tolerate no outside interference in the affairs of the semi-autonomous Chinese territory. > [@](#): > > Yang said the Chinese government firmly supports the police in Hong Kong. > > “We understand the huge pressure facing the Hong Kong police and their families,” he said, “and would like to salute the Hong Kong police who have been fearlessly sticking to their posts and fulfilling their duties against all odds.” > [@](#): > > Pro-Beijing lawmakers in Hong Kong said the “general wishes” of the city’s residents are for the violence to stop immediately. > > “Regardless of your stance, I think all this violence should not continue because it brings no benefit to any person,” said legislator Starry Lee. > > Claudia Mo, a pro-democracy lawmaker, said she fears the Chinese government’s statements will further inflame demonstrators. > > “I’m so worried that what happened in Beijing this afternoon will actually help fan the fire of what’s already been a tsunami of protests in Hong Kong,” Mo said, noting that the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office appeared to fully support the police and Hong Kong’s leader, Carrie Lam. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2019, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hong-kong-2047-and-the-current-protests/835620/71 "2019-07-30T04:45:02Z")
[Hong Kong protesters hit subway to disrupt morning commute](https://apnews.com/a93b095bf9fd4114a4e05e835e74096e) for 2nd week. Looks like they really did disrupt things quite a bit, too. > [@](#): > > Angry Hong Kong commuters argued with protesters who blocked the doors on trains Tuesday morning, preventing them from leaving stations. > > Service was delayed and partially suspended on the Island and Kwun Tong lines, subway operator MTR said. It cited “a number of train door obstructions” as well as someone activating a safety device at a platform on the Kwun Tong line. > > AP video showed heated exchanges at Tiu Keng Leng station, where a crowd of protesters and commuters filled the platform and a stopped train. > [@](#): > > Posts on Twitter showed long lines of commuters waiting for free shuttle buses provided by MTR to other subway stops. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2019, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hong-kong-2047-and-the-current-protests/835620/72 "2019-07-30T05:21:06Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > [Hong Kong protesters hit subway to disrupt morning commute](https://apnews.com/a93b095bf9fd4114a4e05e835e74096e) for 2nd week. Looks like they really did disrupt things quite a bit, too. Carrie Lam still hasn’t stepped down. The pro-democracy protest playbook was written by Eastern Europe and North Africans; the anti-democracy playbook has been written by Bashar Al Assad, Vladimir Putin, and the Communist Party of China. On one hand, pro-democracy forces will refuse to be governed and occupy space. On the flip side, the anti-democracy forces will murder those who resist. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2019, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hong-kong-2047-and-the-current-protests/835620/73 "2019-08-03T01:28:35Z")
I didn’t expect this: [Civil servants join Hong Kong protests as Beijing accuses US](https://apnews.com/9e8b17ebd6114a3d96a74c2d4bb6f56a) > [@](#): > > Several thousand joined the rally for government workers in solidarity with protesters who have called for greater rights and government accountability over the past two months. As rain hit the umbrella-ready crowd, attendees dispersed willingly, avoiding the police clashes that have increasingly beleaguered demonstrations. > > “As civil servants, if we don’t stand up, that means we are disloyal,” said K. H. Wu, a retiree who worked for the government’s Census Department for 40 years. “Our loyalties are not to a particular government, but to the people.” > > Wu attended the rally with his wife, also a civil servant. He said this was the first time he participated in a rally in which he openly shared his status as a former government worker. He said he did so because he feels “there’s nothing to be afraid of.” > > “Right now the Hong Kong government is blindly leading the people,” Wu said. “They disregard the needs of the population. With Hong Kong like this right now, you have to rid yourself of all fear.” > > Officials had warned civil servants ahead of the rally they could be disciplined if they showed partiality or criticized special officials and polices. The increased risk was written into posters about the event, which cautioned participants against calling for the resignation of government officials, expressing anything related to Hong Kong independence and accepting donations. > > As the crowd flooded into the streets, demonstrators held up signs saying “We are civil servants and willing to step up!” and “Political neutrality does not equal conscienceless.” I didn’t realize that this had happened as well: > [@](#): > > About a thousand medical workers participated in a rally Friday in another part of the city. In recent days, representatives of the financial and medical sectors have also held rallies to show their support for protesters. Beijing continues to blame anyone and everyone but themselves (of course). > [@](#): > > Meanwhile, China’s top diplomat was quoted by the state Xinhua News Agency on Friday accusing the U.S. and other Western nations of arranging meetings between high-level officials and protest leaders and encouraging their actions. > > “The U.S. and some other Western governments … are constantly fanning the flames of the situation in Hong Kong,” State Councilor Yang Jiechi said. > > His remarks follow statements earlier this week by a former Hong Kong official that the U.S. and self-governing democratic Taiwan were behind the unrest, sparked originally by Hong Kong’s now-suspended attempt to push through legislation that could allow some criminal suspects to be sent to mainland China. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2019, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hong-kong-2047-and-the-current-protests/835620/74 "2019-08-03T01:55:47Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > I didn’t expect this: [Civil servants join Hong Kong protests as Beijing accuses US](https://apnews.com/9e8b17ebd6114a3d96a74c2d4bb6f56a)I didn’t realize that this had happened as well:Beijing continues to blame anyone and everyone but themselves (of course). The blaming of the US is almost certainly a pretext for a brutal crackdown should Beijing feel the need. There’s a good reason that China is nervous about Hong Kong, and it’s not really because they’re worried about HK breaking free from China. They’re worried that resistance will spread to the Mainland, and turn into an all out student and/or labor protest, and this is especially true during a time when China’s factory and tech sector production is slowing down to levels not seen in more than a decade. Hundreds of thousands of people cross the checkpoint from HK to Guangdong Province daily. Many of those who pass have family ties in both HK and Guangdong, so it’s impossible for the Chinese government to completely keep people in the dark. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2019, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hong-kong-2047-and-the-current-protests/835620/75 "2019-08-03T13:40:54Z")
Lots of activity the past couple of days. This can’t have done anything but piss off people in Beijing, as well as make Carrie Lam kinda angry/nervous: [Hong Kong protesters throw Chinese flag into iconic harbor](https://apnews.com/8ecf90fe7aa842a6898f3854d3de9c54). > [@](#): > > Hong Kong protesters removed a Chinese national flag from its pole and flung it into the city’s iconic Victoria Harbour on Saturday after a pro-democracy rally once again continued into the evening despite police warnings to stick to a short, pre-approved route. > > Tens of thousands of black-clad protesters filled a major road in a usually bustling market district where shop owners had shuttered their storefronts in anticipation of a prolonged demonstration. They also blocked a tunnel and surrounded police stations where non-emergency services were suspended. The protestors are loosely structured but can organize themselves quickly, on the fly: > [@](#): > > Pro-democracy demonstrators began setting up first aid stations and handing out helmets a few hours into their rally. When one group reached the harbor near a luxury shopping center and high-end hotels, some protesters climbed up a cluster of flag poles and removed the Chinese national flag. > > After some debate over whether to paint the flag black, they decided to throw it into the water before the police could intervene. > > Shortly afterward, a 38-year-old protester named Paladin Cheng planted himself beside the poles with his own set of flags, which read “Hong Kong Independence.” > > “We’re losing our freedom little by little,” said Cheng, who was clad in head-to-toe black with a black visor and face mask. “Those who don’t support Hong Kong independence will have no choice but to become Chinese.” Interesting phrase, eh, “become Chinese”. That phrase alone is going to enrage Beijing, IMO. Couple that with the symbolism of removing the Chinese flag and hoisting an Independent Hong Kong flag… ooof! Powerful stuff. > [@](#): > > Zarine Chau, a 56-year-old security guard, said she rarely used to get involved in politics, but was angered after she saw videos of police officers beating up protesters. > > “I feel so hurt,” Chau said. “Why doesn’t the government answer to us?” She attended Saturday’s rally with her 5-month-old Chihuahua, who was there to help protesters relax, Chau said. Societies all over the world, including our own here in the US, grapple with that question. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2019, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hong-kong-2047-and-the-current-protests/835620/76 "2019-08-03T15:05:46Z")
The AP just updated the article linked in the previous post: > [@](#): > > Police fired several rounds of tear gas on Saturday night to push back a group of protesters who had thrown bricks at a police station and spray-painted inflammatory language on its outer walls. > > Protesters then created a barricade with umbrellas, metal road barriers and a public trash receptacle as police stayed put and raised tear gas warning banners. They also set cardboard on fire to form a barrier. > > A small crowd of local residents gathered in front of the police line, complaining that they were unable to go home because the police were blocking the way to the subway station. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2019, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hong-kong-2047-and-the-current-protests/835620/77 "2019-08-03T15:28:48Z")
I wonder if the people who were throwing bricks were actually legit protesters or members of China’s intelligence services trying to smear the movement – or maybe Chinese intel is online encouraging anarchists to join the fray and #disrupt. If the movement turns into a mob, then the movement becomes less legitimate. This is setting up for a showdown. Thirty years ago, the PLA, just like Bashar Al-Assad in 2011-13, showed how to put down a rebellion: with sheer brutality. If Beijing gets the sense that the protest is starting to influence labor dissidents in China, I suspect we will begin to see a brutal crackdown. The PLA absolutely will shoot protesters dead in the street. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2019, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hong-kong-2047-and-the-current-protests/835620/78 "2019-08-03T15:34:38Z")
Frankly, if they did that, I’d say there’s at least a 10% chance that people start burning Hong Kong to the sea. If China is going to be smart about this, they will realize that time is on their side. Given their propensity for exerting control, tho, I wouldn’t bet on them being smart about this. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2019, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hong-kong-2047-and-the-current-protests/835620/79 "2019-08-03T17:39:36Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > If China is going to be smart about this, they will realize that time is on their side. This. Traditionally, Chinese leadership has exemplified long term thinking, their plans enacted over decades if not centuries. Xi (and his successors) will wait things out, all the while strengthening their hold on Hong Kong’s infrastructure, communications, and surveillance. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2019, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hong-kong-2047-and-the-current-protests/835620/80 "2019-08-04T15:27:51Z")
[Things have escalated quite a bit in the last 48 hours](https://apnews.com/8be2dd4b7cf24e61b3e8da365045ad88): > [@](#): > > Demonstrators in Hong Kong moved en masse to a luxury shopping district Sunday evening after riot police used tear gas to clear out an area they were previously occupying, as the 2-month-old protest movement showed no signs of easing. > > Clad in yellow helmets and black face masks, protesters squeezed out of a subway station in Causeway Bay, with a few people directing traffic and others holding open the turnstiles. > > Surveillance cameras at the station were covered with black tape and umbrellas as protesters spilled out. Makeshift barricades were also erected in the area, which hosts high-end department stores and upscale restaurants. > > The protesters made their move after police fired tear gas — a regular occurrence at the demonstrations — in another district on Hong Kong Island. More tear gas at other locations but the protestors aren’t just standing around: > [@](#): > > Demonstrators debated whether they could feasibly defend the area or if they should migrate to another district, as they had been doing throughout the night. Some passers-by were caught in the fray and angrily yelled at protesters. > > Earlier in the day, another police station became the target of protesters’ ire as rallies in two different parts of the city converged into one. > > Following a rally in the Tseung Kwan O area, some protesters used what appeared to be a long, homemade slingshot to hurl rocks, bricks and other objects at a police station. They shattered multiple glass windows, authorities said. Demonstrators elsewhere also began to barricade and block roads. This has gone far, far beyond general protesting: > [@](#): > > “We are not just another Chinese city. We are Hong Kong,” said Cara Lee, 53, an insurance agent who was attending her 13th demonstration. > > “I feel ashamed because for a long time we didn’t do anything,” said Lee. “But now we are awake. I have to speak out for the next generation. It’s our moral responsibility.” > [@](#): > > On Saturday, a protest march in the territory’s northern area of Kowloon erupted in clashes with police after some marchers walked off the government-approved route and into separate areas. > > Police said some protesters threw gasoline bombs, bricks and glass bottles and refused to disperse. > > Some blocked streets while others surrounded two different police stations, damaging vehicles parked inside one lot. > > Residents in one neighborhood banded together with protesters and surrounded a police station, yelling at riot police to leave. The police are throwing a new wrinkle in; hopefully the protestors have some chemists on their side: > [@](#): > > Police said in a statement Sunday that they will use a colored liquid spray to distinguish protesters from other members of the public. They said that the spray is edible and harmless, but will stay on skin and clothes as a way of marking demonstrators, and that the dye can also be applied to tear gas. I’m not sure how that’s going to work on black clothing, but skin dye could be a real PITA. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hong-kong-2047-and-the-current-protests/835620.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hong-kong-2047-and-the-current-protests/835620.md?page=5)