HONG KONG, Nov. 18 (UPI) -- A pro-democracy demonstrators' encampment in Hong Kong was cleared Tuesday, with protesters offering no resistance.
The area around the Citic Tower was a main area of student protest until a court injunction last week, after a case was brought by the skyscraper's owners, prompted action by government bailiffs. They removed several barricades and the personal effects of those who had been living in tents at the site Tuesday, but as the injunction's vague instructions prompted minor disputes over what could and could not be moved, demonstrators themselves carried barricades to other protest locations.
Although there was no conflict between students and authorities, pro-democracy legislator Albert Ho noted the weakness of the government's position was shown as a private entity, the Citic Tower, required a civil court action to remove the protesters.
"The only explanation is that the administration has lost its confidence, because of a lack of authority and a lack of legitimacy, to enforce the law," he said.
On Sept. 28 the "Umbrella Revolution" began, a campaign of civil disobedience after the Beijing government made it clear it would screen candidates for the elected position of Hong Kong's chief executive. Many in Hong Kong saw the action as a violation of the "one country, two systems" policy guaranteed Hong Kong after Britain ceded the city back to China in 1997.
After seven weeks, the campaign's momentum has slowed, and the goodwill it once had has been lost amid traffic jams and loss of business revenue the protests have caused. A survey, published this week by the Chinese University of Hong Kong, indicated 67 percent of respondents would prefer the demonstrations to end.
