The Remains of Vehicle Set on Fire Sit for Days in a Hong Kong Street

Early this evening as I walked through Mong Kok, Hong Kong I saw something on Sai Yeung Choi Street that seemed remarkable even after seeing and experiencing so much recently in Hong Kong regarding the ongoing protests.

Using the word "dog" for "police", common practice for protestors in Hong Kong, the markings on the the vehicle "便衣狗車" claim it is a plainclothes police car. I can't confirm this is accurate. But the vehicle does look like some unmarked vehicles I have seen on multiple occasions set in the middle of a row of marked police vehicles making their way through the city. In any case, presumably the vehicle's current state is the result of protesters.

This tweet includes a video of a car on fire in Mong Kok which appears to be a perfect match in terms of vehicle type and location:

#Mongkok at night. More road barricades. A car has been set on fire. Several burst of explosion sounds. Bystanders watch on. #LiberateHongKong #HKprotests #StandWithHongKong #FreedomHK #GloryToHongKong #ProtestsHK #HKHumanRightsandDemocracyAct #StandwithHK #FightforHongKong #HKG pic.twitter.com/EcIGsOkcED

— Truth Live Hong Kong (@HongTruth) November 12, 2019

Perhaps just as remarkable that this car was lit on fire is that it was still sitting in the street. Another person commented on this issue yesterday:

Presumably the car that was set on fire yesterday. Government given up on trying to return the streets to normal each morning. #Mongkok #HongKongProtests pic.twitter.com/IzcWN8VF4X

— Ataraxis (@ataraxisfinch) November 13, 2019

So the car has been sitting there in this not so usable state at least for a couple of days. Of course this is far from Hong Kong's most pressing issue, which is one of many signs of just how widespread and intense the protests have been lately.

Fleeing the Tear Gas in Hong Kong's Central Financial District

This afternoon I observed the interaction of protestors, police, media, medics, and onlookers in Central — Hong Kong's main financial and business district. Suddenly the police started firing numerous tear gas canisters and rounds before leaving the area.

The below video begins with a large crowd following the police as they move away from the area with the frontline black-clad protestors. At 1:49 in the video, as I am standing next to a CNN crew the tear gas canisters begin to fly. As I headed westward on Pedder Street directly away from the police, I thought that quite soon either the firing would stop or that I would be out of harms way. However, the number of tear gas canisters and the distance they reached was more intense than I expected.

For more context, here is the report by CNN's Ivan Watson that was wrapping up while I recorded the above video just as the police began shooting this round of tear gas:

Amnesty International accuses Hong Kong’s police of acting “out of control.” The police reject that criticism. More than 5 months into this crisis, the scene we filmed in Central Hong Kong on Tuesday did not demonstrate a confident police force in command of the situation. pic.twitter.com/9Vevoe0htg

— Ivan Watson (@IvanCNN) November 12, 2019

Incredibly this tear gassing of protestors and many others is just a small part of the protest related events today in Hong Kong and seems to pale in comparison to some of them.

And thanks to the helpful Hongkongers who provided me with eyewashes after the tear gassing. I am fine now, folks. I can't say the same for some others here though.