Local Radicals Warn Against Violent Protests

As far as anti-globalisation protests go, Hong Kong has a lot to live up to. The cycle of big and often violent protests began when Bill Clinton decided to hold a WTO meeting in Seattle in 1999 to launch trade talks. The chaos on the streets was matched by the bad blood among the delegates inside the conference hall.

Two years ago in Cancún, a Korean farmer, Lee Kyung-hae, stabbed himself in the heart as the Mexican resort was the scene of clashes between protesters and security forces. Just as in Seattle, the talks collapsed. Now Hong Kong is the venue. It seemed a perfect choice for two reasons: first, virtually no other city has done better out of free trade. Second, it is ruled from Beijing, which has a reputation for clamping down hard on protests.

The democracy movement has gained mass support in recent years, evident in a march by tens of thousands this month, but even the most radical locals fear that their activism may pale in comparison with that of battle-hardened protesters. In what passes for Hong Kong's alternative press, a cut-out-and-keep rioters' guide to Hong Kong was hardly a call to arms. Under R for Rioters, it said: "This is a peaceful place and your shenanigans will only make it harder for us once you leave, so leave the rocks at home." G for Globalisation noted: "While we are on the topic, what is your beef anyway?"

Such is the anti-anti mood, that the territory's best known political bad boy, "Longhair" Leung Gwok Hong, is worried that the reputation of Hong Kong radicalism may never recover. "I fear that Hong Kong people won't want to join the frontline of the hardest-core protests," said Mr Leung. "There is a big risk that we could lose face."