Massive disruption to city life draws condemnation in HK

Political leaders and major political parties in Hong Kong condemned protesters' violent acts, which had brought the railway network to a standstill and blocked roads in several districts, creating severe traffic bottlenecks on Monday.

In a statement issued at about 7 pm on Monday, Tung Chee-hwa, vice-chairman of the National Committee of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and the first chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, voiced his support for the SAR government and police. Tung said they had to take whatever measures necessary to safeguard the city's rule of law and to restore peace and order.

Many residents, braving the risks of being harassed and insulted by radical protesters, went to work as usual to safeguard Hong Kong's core value by actions, Tung said.

Tung called on the public to step forward and say "No" to those "black sheep" bent on destabilizing the city with violence.

The city's largest political party in the Legislative Council also condemned the strike. Gary Chan Hakkan, vice-chairman of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, said the strike blocked the city's main roads and disrupted MTR services during rush hour, denying citizens their right to commute.

The DAB understands that people have the right to go on strike, but other people's right to go to work via the city's public transportation system should be respected as well, he said.

The DAB urged a return to calm and made a plea to protesters to pause and think, giving the government time to work out solutions to current problems.

The Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions, the city's largest labor group, also denounced the radical protesters.

The FTU said the protesters have ignored people's right to work, and their acts have disrupted public order and threatened social stability.

The Business and Professionals Alliance of Hong Kong, the city's largest political party representing the business sector, said all 7 million Hong Kong people are "sailing on the same boat", and any political dispute should not be allowed to harm the city's economic development.

Hong Kong faces external economic challenges, including Sino-US trade frictions, Brexit, and other global uncertainties. The extreme behavior of the protesters will affect local business operations and undermine consumers' confidence, the BPA said.

For this reason, the BPA appealed to the public to stand fast to their positions, respect other people's rights, and restore order and peace.

The Liberal Party said ongoing protests and violent clashes have disrupted the city's economic development and people's livelihoods and could lead to waves of layoffs.

The businesssector party urged the public to resolve the dispute in a peaceful and rational manner through negotiations, and consider the city's overall interests.

Monday saw a series of demonstrations, including strikes, road blockades, disruptions to public transportation services, and mass rallies in several districts. Radical protesters deliberately disrupted train services at several MTR stations and temporarily occupied and blocked the CrossHarbour Tunnel.