HONG KONG PROTESTS - Chinese Government Sends in its Triad Mafia to Attack Protesters

Eight triad gangsters have been arrested after allegedly attacking pro-democracy demonstrators in Hong Kong. Police announced today that they had arrested 19 people after bloody clashes between groups of supporters yesterday, of whom a number belonged to the notorious organised crime gang.

“We’re losing money,” one woman shouted from atop a ledge in the middle of Nathan Road, a congested shopping street in Mongkok, as members of the crowd called on her to leave. Meanwhile, reports surfaced Friday that pro-Beijing activists were also confronting protesters at another demonstration hotspot in Causeway Bay.

A young man drops a box full of water bottles on the street, and ten people come running to help. As the garbage trucks roll in, volunteers help clean the streets, paying close attention to sorting the recyclable bottles from the trash. This is a protest like no other. It is one of calm, respect and politeness. There are no signs of hostility yet. On Tuesday night, the people were left to run the show. On Wednesday morning, the police formed blockades only near the Oct. 1 National Day flag ceremony, protecting VIP guests from the tired, quiet crowd.

Young protesters, disenfranchised and frustrated, take to the streets to fight a government that is ignoring their demands. At first peaceful, the protests are met with the heavy hand of riot police. Photographs of resilient demonstrators -- some standing obstinate amid the clouds of tear gas, others covered in pepper spray -- flood the Internet. Asia's financial hubs and a territory known for its stability. Hong Kong's business elite, Chinese President Xi Jinping asserted that Beijing will not yield. censoring posts on Weibo, a popular social media site -- "Hong Kong" is now the most widely deleted search term on the social media site -- and Instagram was blocked for the first time in Hong Kong.

Occupy Central, a pro-democracy group pushing for genuine universal suffrage in Hong Kong, civil disobedience campaign aimed at sending a strong protest message to the central government in Beijing. and scaled a fence to invade the city's main government compound after a week of peaceful action. Police used pepper spray to disperse the crowd. The Hong Kong Federation of Students extended class boycotts indefinitely.

banquet – Hong Kong government offices in the Admiralty district. Chan Kin-man, one of the founders of Occupy Central, most tenacious civil disobedience action since 1997.

Along with Hong Kong and Chinese officials, some of Hong Kong's most powerful tycoons have spoken out against the Occupy movement, warning it could threaten the city's business and economic stability. Over 100 pro-democracy students stormed Hong Kong government headquarters and scuffled with police late on Friday in protest against the Chinese government's tightening grip on the former British colony.

Demonstrators also have occupied the upscale Pacific Place shopping mall, located near the main protest site, organizers said Sunday evening. They said the number of protesters continues to grow. The pro-democracy advocacy group -- which is not affiliated with the broader anti-capitalist Occupy movement -- has been vowing to lead a campaign of civil disobedience in the face of China's decision to control what candidates can run for Hong Kong's top office.

Many in the city, which under British rule enjoyed considerable political freedom, fear a rollback of the city's political autonomy, agreed between Britain and China under the Basic Law. The Basic Law, which serves as a de facto constitution, was written in the lead-up to the 1997 handover of sovereignty.

The sit-in is to protest against China's plan to vet nominees for the leadership of the former British colony, dashing hopes for full universal suffrage at 2017 polls.The goal is to maintain calm during demonstrations, as the 'sunflower' movement did in Taipei,