After two days of relative quiet, word spread through the encrypted messaging app Telegram that a lunch time protest would take place Friday in Central - Hong Kong's downtown business district. Local office workers, many in business clothes and wearing paper masks, poured out of shining high rise buildings to join the event organizers.
CGTN’s Jim Spellman reports from Hong Kong
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They shouted slogans supporting the "Five Demands" of protestors and expressed anger at authorities. Some protestors chanted ‘Hong Kongers get revenge’ aimed at the Hong Kong police.
Some of these office workers say they oppose the violence they have seen when demonstrations turn to riots, but remain committed to political change in Hong Kong.
“We have been trying to use a more peaceful way to express our demands but what we have been given in return by the government is they don’t listen to us,” said a protester named Kenneth.
For an hour it’s peaceful– until pro-government demonstrators arrive and try to be heard.
“We work here in this area, we work around and we saw the rioters, the protestors, they yell to the police. We support the police,” said a protester named Leo.
Several scuffles break out. The police show up in riot gear and get between the two sides, defusing the conflicts. The counter protesters support the government in Beijing and the Hong Kong police.
“We are one country called China. Hong Kong is just a city,” said Leo.
No one is seriously injured and no arrests were made. After about an hour an a half the chants die down and the protesters on both sides head back to work in Hong Kong’s towering office buildings. This protest is over, but most here know that there will be more before before this months long political unrest is resolved.