At 8am a crowd of about 50 mainland China protesters are lined up outside the Hong Kong Central Government building. The are protesting a commercial dispute that they claim is a Hong Kong company. They are told by the police that they must stay in a small area of the public sidewalk and barricaded in. I tell them that they have rights to come on the sidewalk and any public place and hold a sign if they so choose. The police who I believe respect my knowledge of freedoms for people, do not intervene. The people being from mainland China and the fear of any police is paramount to their thinking. They remain in the pen until the last moment when they all come out to the sidewalk. This is all peaceful and correct.
At 9am two Falun Gong also known as Falun Dafa practitioners arrive at the building for an all day stay. They hold up their large yellow sign covering up other groups banners. They forcibly move two tents that belong to the former HKTV staff. Clearly they feel that they have some form of public rights to that location in the public square despite others being there before them. The practitioners are very angry the entire time they are there. I move my chair where the tents where formally located to make a statement that everyone has equal rights in the public area. The Falun Gong then position on each side of me and repeat methodical sentences and enter a trance like state. I sit there peacefully and talk to people as they pass by, even Legco members. One Legco member invited into the building for lunch and discussion on our family life and democracy. Clearly who has possession of public space is not understood by all. Falun Gong is mystical Chinese philosophy.
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