After a ninth straight weekend of protests, Hong Kong protesters are now looking to shut down the city with a general strike on Monday to disrupt morning commute. Hong Kong prepares for massive flight cancellations and traffic mayhem.

Hong Kong Police Play Catch-up

On Sunday, the Hong Kong police and anti-government protesters clashed at Causeway Bay, Hong Kong’s premier shopping district, sparking chaos that continued late into the night. According to an article on South China Morning Post (SCMP) (5 Aug), protesters shut down the Cross-Harbour Tunnel, a key link between the Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, for the second day, creating traffic mayhem. After two hours of tolerating protesters, riot police swooped in and fired multiple rounds of tear gas.

Further according to the article on SCMP, protesters then took on a new tactic of advancing and retreating, creating enough chaos in a certain area to draw out the police before moving on to a different location, leaving the police force to play catch-up.

The police force issued statements to condemn the protesters, whereas the Hong Kong government again warned against the “wanton destruction of public peace”, and that these protests may “push Hong Kong into a very dangerous situation”.

The Worst to Come?

In another article on the SCMP (4 Aug), the protests may continue today (Mon, 5 Aug), with protest organisers intending to prevent passengers from reaching work in crucial business districts by targeting the mass transit railway (MTR), airport and roads. Demonstrators plan to take leave or call in sick to join Monday’s protests (The Edge Markets, 5 Aug).

Hong Kong prepares for massive flight cancellations, commuter chaos, traffic jams and service disruptions. Cathay Pacific Airways, the city’s flag carrier, said it has cancelled more than 140 flights coming to and from the city (The Edge Markets, 5 Aug). The decision was made by the aviation department amid anonymous air traffic controllers following through on threats to join today’s strike (SCMP, 4 Aug).

The endless demonstrations and unrest has taken a toll on Hong Kong’s economy, denting tourism and retail sales, while worsening its outlook during the already taxing US-China trade war. Anxiety mounts with concerns that Beijing may call in the People’s Liberation Army, which released a video last week showing troops practicing riot control (The Edge Markets, 5 Aug).

Source: Macquarie Research - 5 Aug 2019