Those delusional freedom lovers with their low-class demands for better representation. Next thing you know, they might start looting tea and throwing it in the harbour.

Moscow 2011/2012 winter protests were like this too. I guess we barely hit 50k/event.

Unfortunately results are really discouraging.

Sorry if you missed the sarcasm. The looting comment was making a comparison with the Boston Tea Party to point out that many countries are founded in protest and that to belittle the effect it can have makes a mockery of history.

Now you jinxed it.

I for one am waiting for the looting of LV and Gucci bags.

It's going to be epic.

I should probably have laid the sarcasm on a bit thicker.

That's not HK style, that's the corporate media's style, and you see it everywhere. The protesters have actually shown a lot of class - it's the police and government who need to show some class and have a more measured response to peaceful protests.

No worse than what US authorities did in 'Occupy' protests...

I don't understand this (American?) tendency to insist on comparing everything that happens in the world to what happens in the USA. It's almost as if you are expected to first check what USA has done, and then apply equal amounts of criticism to the USA for that, before you are then allowed to say anything on any topic.

Hongkongers and other people around the world, don't care about the USA. We don't feel the need to use USA as a benchmark when discussing issues in our own countries.

There is a single rule to see tell the true motivation of a protest: is the biggest protest sign written in English (if the general public in the area/country not native English speakers)? If yes, it's probably a show to leverage CNN/BBC. Otherwise, why would protestors use a language unable to deliver messages to their own people?

According to this pic: http://www.popo8.com/host/data/201409/28/3/f864d6c.jpg, this Occupy Central is a show.

Judging from your analysis, you couldn't tell the true motivation of a protest if it bit you on the arse.

Protests are shows. That's why they call them demonstrations.

And given signs are for informing people outside the protest, it is no surprise that folk will write an English one if they know there will be an English speaking news crew around.

so according to your opinion, a protester bits your arse and it's a show?

I'm a programmer and I have proposed a straight forward rule to help me understand the situation. If you have a better way, show me. If what you are saying is any protest should be supported unconditionally, and any means to attract media attention is legit, then go to Iraq and join ISIS' protest.

Are you sure you don't work in politics?

should I take it as a compliment?

No, better not. I should probably take it back really and put it in a little box marked 'Do not Disturb Any Further'.

Cantonese (written in Traditional Chinese) and English are the de facto official languages of Hong Kong. I'm not sure how well your rule applies.

I was wondering why they're using the Occupy brand. Is it now just used for everything remotely related to protests?

Well they're literally occupying Central, the financial district, aka Hong Kong's Wall Street.

Whether or not this is the next Tianmen Square will depend on Beijing's reaction.