Hong Kong Begins Clearing Main Protest Camp As Demonstrators Watch

By Chris Hopkins / NPR

Published November 17, 2014 at 4:36 PM PST

This story was published more than 10 years ago.

Masked pro-democracy protesters move a barricade further away from an office tower Tuesday in accordance to a court injunction to clear up part of the protest site, after the arrival of bailiffs outside the government headquarters in Hong Kong. Authorities were preparing to clear part of a key area of the heart of the city that has been occupied by the demonstrators for nearly two months.

With the courts having sided with the government, workers in Hong Kong today began clearing barricades from the main camp student protesters have been operating out of for more than two months, wire services report.

According to The Associated Press, "students, who have been protesting for greater democracy in the former British colony, did not resist."

The day so far has not seen the conflict or chaos of a similar barrier-clearing effort a month ago.

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The reaction has been nearly the opposite of that, Reuters reports:

" 'We will proceed on the principle of peace and nonviolence,' said Joshua Wong, head of Scholarism, one of two student groups leading the protests. " 'We are not looking for an argument with the police. If they clear the road outside the car park we will accept that. If they clear other areas it will be very disappointing.' "Some protesters packed up pillows, blankets and other belongings from inside their tents and moved to another part of the demonstration zone. " 'Our plan is to do nothing and just observe,' said protester Gary Yeung, 25. 'The pre-agreed area is fine. Anything beyond that is not. It's a peaceful protest so we won't fight back.' "

NPR's Frank Langfitt is en route to Hong Kong and plans to report the latest on the situation for Tuesday's Morning Edition.