China urges HK people to oppose protests

Bloomberg

China urged Hong Kong residents to stand up to protesters challenging the government, after a general strike that led to a day of traffic chaos, mob violence, tear gas and flight
cancellations.
In some of the Chinese government’s strongest comments yet on the unrest gripping the Asian financial hub, the top agency overseeing Hong Kong reiterated support for local leader Carrie Lam and said efforts to force her resignation would fail. Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office spokesman Yang Guang called on residents to “stand firm and guard our beautiful homeland,” citing a few examples of local people criticising protesters.
“We would like to make it clear to the very small group of unscrupulous and violent criminals and the dirty forces behind them,” Yang said. “Those who play with fire will perish by it.”
The news conference was the second Beijing press event on Hong Kong since the agency’s first unprecedented briefing. While the Chinese government reaffirmed support for Lam and the local police, Yang again refused to rule out a military intervention, saying Beijing would never allow unrest to “go beyond the control” of the local government and endanger national unity and security.
The protest movement started attracting historic crowds to oppose a bill that would’ve allowed extraditions to the mainland and has since morphed into a broader challenge to China. Lam has failed to stem the momentum of protesters who are demanding that she withdraw the bill completely and step down from her position.
The city’s Tuesday commute returned to normal after Monday demonstrations left rush hour traffic snarled, subway lines inoperable and airport operations disrupted. Cathay Pacific Airways said it cancelled more than 140 flights coming to and from the city, while Hong Kong Airlines scrapped 30 flights.
Ken Yau, a lecturer on the University of Hong Kong’s social sciences faculty, said statements from Beijing urging people to stand up to protesters could encourage vigilante groups who have recently assaulted them. “If Beijing wanted to take a more popular strategy, they should have highlighted their distance from these gangsters, but this implies that they give a green light to them,” Yau said.