Hong Kong Protests

We all went down to the protests last night. Anna and I went down first and then I drove True and his friend down later. It's been tense and remains unpredictable. This might be the start of an historic standoff or it might just be a passing event.

True got his first taste of tear gas. Protesters gave them plastic wrap to protect themselves, though I'm not sure it does much good.

Still, the protesters are using it to protect themselves from the gas and pepper spray.

Others are using heavier duty protection.

It's very strange to see this in Hong Kong, where the police are normally very mild.

Seeing shotguns (above) and M-16s surprised me.

A barricade at the subway station that Anna sometimes takes to work. It was open this morning, but many of the roads were still closed.

Much of the protests have centered on this flyover. The building in the background is the headquarters of the People's Liberation Army garrison in Hong Kong. So far the PLA has stayed in their barracks.

The crowd control has been left to the Hong Kong government. Were Beijing to intervene, it would shake Hong Kong society, which is increasingly at odds with the mainland.

The protesters look like they are in for a long haul.