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Hong Kong grounds all flights as protest paralyzes airport
By Helen Regan, Ben Westcott, James Griffiths and Jessie Yeung, CNN
Updated 8:48 a.m. ET, August 12, 2019
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Hong Kong, as thousands of demonstrators descend on the city's International Airport earlier Monday.
1 hr 30 min ago
Here's what you need to know about today's protests
Protesters occupy the departure hall of the Hong Kong International Airport during a demonstration on August 12, 2019. Anthony Kwan/Getty Images
Today saw the fourth and largest day of airport sit-ins by anti-government protesters in Hong Kong, thousands of whom thronged both terminals at the city's international airport. Nearly 200 flights coming in and out of the city were canceled, and the normally calm and orderly airport descended into chaos.
Here's the rundown:
1 hr 42 min ago
Airport slowly, slowly returning to normal
From CNN's Ben Westcott
Life is steadily returning to normal at Hong Kong airport -- except all the flights are still canceled and there are hundreds of chanting protesters in the entrance hall.
Cleaners have begun to remove the piles of garbage amassed around the trash cans while leaving the hundreds of posters and leaflets attached to the walls and barriers.
Passengers are still arriving from flights headed into Hong Kong. Walking out into the main terminal they're greeted by crowds of black clad protesters. They can take the Airport Express into town which is still running at 10 minute intervals after being overwhelmed by travelers earlier as protesters attempted to flee the airport.
All the shops are still closed and there are few airport workers to be seen but there is less of a sense of paralysis now, just waiting on the part of the protesters and uncertainty for the unfortunate travelers stuck there.
1 hr 44 min ago
The power of protest art
The airport walls are plastered with posters, art, and graffiti. Ben Westcott/CNN
Hong Kong's airport, now largely empty of protesters hours after hundreds of flights were cancelled, is plastered with posters, flyers, and drawings -- examples of the widely-disseminated protest art that informs, inspires and, at times, offers light relief.
The political art has taken on a distinct style, from design to distribution. Banners are not just plastered onto main roads -- they are sent directly to residents via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi almost immediately after they are created.
The graphics serve multiple purposes; some advertise upcoming protest marches, others contain subversive criticism of the authorities and many encourage unity and stamina.
"Be water": A key theme of protesters' posters is the ability to "be water," a phrase inspired by martial arts icon Bruce Lee that encourages fluidity and adaptability to any situation. This is in stark contrast to the 2014 protests, which remained in one area of the city as protesters set up camp against the authorities.
"An eye for an eye": A newly emerging poster theme depicts a woman with an eye missing, a reference to an injury suffered during Sunday night's clashes with police. Many protesters at the airport on Monday also wore eyepatches in reference to the woman's injury.
1 hr 52 min ago
A small crowd of protesters have gathered in Wan Chai
From CNN's Josh Berlinger and Jessie Yeung
Crowds are gathering in Wan Chai district after a sit-in at the airport earlier today. Joshua Berlinger/CNN
Most protesters have cleared out of the airport, with only a few hundred left, but some others are now gathering in the district of Wan Chai on Hong Kong Island.
Police on scene are warning through a loudspeaker that this gathering constitutes an unlawful assembly, and that protesters should leave -- to which protesters shout back that they're not causing any harm.
The small crowd say they're planning to submit a letter to the Hong Kong police commissioner, and are chanting, "Stop firing tear gas."
"Your whole family and kids would be ashamed for what you have done," one protester shouted at the police.
One police officer came out to meet the protesters and receive the letter, even posing for a photo with the protesters.
A Joshua Berlinger/CNN
There is widespread anger at the police today, after a female protester was injured in the eye yesterday night during clashes with police who were trying to disperse crowds. Many posters, flyers, and pieces of protest art today showed a bloody eye, or faces with one eye covered or missing.
1 hr 49 min ago
Protesters and passengers hunker down at the airport McDonald's
From CNN's Ben Westcott and Jessie Yeung
There are a few hundred protesters still at the airport, and they show no signs of leaving.
Many have congregated at the McDonald's -- one of the only sources of water right now, with other shops and restaurants largely closed.
McDonald's is one of the few sources of water in the airport right now. Ben Westcott/CNN
Protesters and passengers take a break, charge their phones, and grab a bite. Earlier, some travelers told CNN they didn't know how to leave the airport, with lines for public transit packed full and no airport staff around to help.
Other protesters have even set up a portable television, and are sitting on the floor watching the feed.
It's not clear what they're waiting for -- earlier, some protesters told CNN they had "no plan." Others said they were afraid of possible confrontations with the police, but wanted to make sure nobody was left behind.
2 hr 33 min ago
Traveler tells protesters: "You are ruining your own country"
From CNN's Helen Regan
Some travelers in Hong Kong support the protesters -- one told CNN the protesters were performing their civic duty -- but others are getting tired of the inconveniences.
"This is ridiculous. If you want to fight the issues, that's fair, but you are making the people turn against you," said one woman traveling with a child.
"You are ruining your own country and you all have to live with this. In 20 years it will be China whether you like it or not. You may want to be careful about how you go about things," she said.
"I'm all for fighting for your rights but this has gone beyond it. You are going to stop people from coming into your country, your economy is finished."
Hong Kong airport grounds all flights as protest paralyzes hub: Live updates - CNN
By Helen Regan, Ben Westcott, James Griffiths and Jessie Yeung, CNN
Updated 8:48 a.m. ET, August 12, 2019
Share
Hong Kong, as thousands of demonstrators descend on the city's International Airport earlier Monday.
- Alleged police brutality: A small number of protesters have been demonstrating at the airport all weekend, but today's mass gathering was sparked by allegations of unnecessary police violence on Sunday.
- Crowds thinning, but hundreds remain: The number of protesters at the airport has begun to seriously thin amid rumors of impending police action.
- World transport hub: Hong Kong International Airport is one of the busiest in the world, handling 1,100 flights daily across about 200 destinations.
1 hr 30 min ago
Here's what you need to know about today's protests
Protesters occupy the departure hall of the Hong Kong International Airport during a demonstration on August 12, 2019. Anthony Kwan/Getty Images
Today saw the fourth and largest day of airport sit-ins by anti-government protesters in Hong Kong, thousands of whom thronged both terminals at the city's international airport. Nearly 200 flights coming in and out of the city were canceled, and the normally calm and orderly airport descended into chaos.
Here's the rundown:
- All flights down: All departing flights were canceled, and more than 70 arriving flights were also stopped. In the early evening, the airport was filled with confused and frustrated travelers who weren't sure if their flights had been canceled or not.
- Protesters warn travelers: Thousands of protesters in the airport arrival hall warned arriving travelers, "Don't trust the police," and held up images of bloody clashes between protesters and riot police. Some shouted, "Turn back," while others apologized for the inconvenience.
- Anger at the police: Though the wider protest movement has a range of demands -- including greater democracy -- today's demonstrations seemed focused at the police, who protesters accuse of brutal force and abuse of power.
- A bloody weekend and bloody summer: Protesters are outraged about last night's violent clashes with the police. One female protester's eye was injured during the dispersal operation -- which became a rallying cry for protesters today. Violence is fast becoming the norm as Hong Kong enters its 11th consecutive week of protests, which first began in June over a now-suspended extradition bill.
1 hr 42 min ago
Airport slowly, slowly returning to normal
From CNN's Ben Westcott
Life is steadily returning to normal at Hong Kong airport -- except all the flights are still canceled and there are hundreds of chanting protesters in the entrance hall.
Cleaners have begun to remove the piles of garbage amassed around the trash cans while leaving the hundreds of posters and leaflets attached to the walls and barriers.
Passengers are still arriving from flights headed into Hong Kong. Walking out into the main terminal they're greeted by crowds of black clad protesters. They can take the Airport Express into town which is still running at 10 minute intervals after being overwhelmed by travelers earlier as protesters attempted to flee the airport.
All the shops are still closed and there are few airport workers to be seen but there is less of a sense of paralysis now, just waiting on the part of the protesters and uncertainty for the unfortunate travelers stuck there.
1 hr 44 min ago
The power of protest art
The airport walls are plastered with posters, art, and graffiti. Ben Westcott/CNN
Hong Kong's airport, now largely empty of protesters hours after hundreds of flights were cancelled, is plastered with posters, flyers, and drawings -- examples of the widely-disseminated protest art that informs, inspires and, at times, offers light relief.
The political art has taken on a distinct style, from design to distribution. Banners are not just plastered onto main roads -- they are sent directly to residents via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi almost immediately after they are created.
The graphics serve multiple purposes; some advertise upcoming protest marches, others contain subversive criticism of the authorities and many encourage unity and stamina.
"Be water": A key theme of protesters' posters is the ability to "be water," a phrase inspired by martial arts icon Bruce Lee that encourages fluidity and adaptability to any situation. This is in stark contrast to the 2014 protests, which remained in one area of the city as protesters set up camp against the authorities.
"An eye for an eye": A newly emerging poster theme depicts a woman with an eye missing, a reference to an injury suffered during Sunday night's clashes with police. Many protesters at the airport on Monday also wore eyepatches in reference to the woman's injury.
1 hr 52 min ago
A small crowd of protesters have gathered in Wan Chai
From CNN's Josh Berlinger and Jessie Yeung
Crowds are gathering in Wan Chai district after a sit-in at the airport earlier today. Joshua Berlinger/CNN
Most protesters have cleared out of the airport, with only a few hundred left, but some others are now gathering in the district of Wan Chai on Hong Kong Island.
Police on scene are warning through a loudspeaker that this gathering constitutes an unlawful assembly, and that protesters should leave -- to which protesters shout back that they're not causing any harm.
The small crowd say they're planning to submit a letter to the Hong Kong police commissioner, and are chanting, "Stop firing tear gas."
"Your whole family and kids would be ashamed for what you have done," one protester shouted at the police.
One police officer came out to meet the protesters and receive the letter, even posing for a photo with the protesters.
A Joshua Berlinger/CNN
There is widespread anger at the police today, after a female protester was injured in the eye yesterday night during clashes with police who were trying to disperse crowds. Many posters, flyers, and pieces of protest art today showed a bloody eye, or faces with one eye covered or missing.
1 hr 49 min ago
Protesters and passengers hunker down at the airport McDonald's
From CNN's Ben Westcott and Jessie Yeung
There are a few hundred protesters still at the airport, and they show no signs of leaving.
Many have congregated at the McDonald's -- one of the only sources of water right now, with other shops and restaurants largely closed.
McDonald's is one of the few sources of water in the airport right now. Ben Westcott/CNN
Protesters and passengers take a break, charge their phones, and grab a bite. Earlier, some travelers told CNN they didn't know how to leave the airport, with lines for public transit packed full and no airport staff around to help.
Other protesters have even set up a portable television, and are sitting on the floor watching the feed.
It's not clear what they're waiting for -- earlier, some protesters told CNN they had "no plan." Others said they were afraid of possible confrontations with the police, but wanted to make sure nobody was left behind.
2 hr 33 min ago
Traveler tells protesters: "You are ruining your own country"
From CNN's Helen Regan
Some travelers in Hong Kong support the protesters -- one told CNN the protesters were performing their civic duty -- but others are getting tired of the inconveniences.
"This is ridiculous. If you want to fight the issues, that's fair, but you are making the people turn against you," said one woman traveling with a child.
"You are ruining your own country and you all have to live with this. In 20 years it will be China whether you like it or not. You may want to be careful about how you go about things," she said.
"I'm all for fighting for your rights but this has gone beyond it. You are going to stop people from coming into your country, your economy is finished."
Hong Kong airport grounds all flights as protest paralyzes hub: Live updates - CNN
