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Comment by kenneth | Hacker News Reader

A key difference to understand between protests in America and in Hong Kong is that there is no division in Hong Kong about the issue. In the US, for example, half of the population opposes Trump and half supports him. There are anti-Trump protests and pro-Trump rally. The US is divided on many issues.

In Hong Kong, the whole population is united against the government. The territory is democratic on paper, but no longer in practice and basically run by the CCP.

(Note, recently moved from the US to HK and went to see the protests for myself yesterday, though I didn't actively participate)

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I’d like to believe that but just yesterday someone posted links to a Chinese news site showing lots of visible support for the pro government side. Lots of signs in the city showing support and a fleet of fishing boats with signs. Even if this is pure propaganda it shows there is visible support (even if artificial).

Upwards of 1 million people were at the protest this past Sunday. There's only a population of 7 million people in the entire SAR. That's the proportional equivalent of every man, woman &child in California, Oregon and Washington meeting in a single spot to protest something. Even if not everyone agrees on the exact details of what they're protesting, seeing that much passionate support behind a cause is a good indicator that the outrage is widespread.

Fishing boats could've been requisitioned from anywhere. Signs put up by party cadres. I think those are perhaps examples of propaganda that everyone on the ground there knows is false but are put up for the sake of the international media. I don't get the impression that there is much support for the pro-government side among HKers at all, from the couple I know living abroad.

What little visible support there is is manufactured. The supporting signs in the city are on the buildings of Chinese state-owned companies.

Carrie Lam has 43% support according to public opinion polls [1]

[1]https://www.hkupop.hku.hk/english/popexpress/ce2017/cl/cecom...

I have read several times that China has been moving progressively more pro-Beijing Han Chinese into HK. Much like policy in other regions China has occupied like Tibet and Xinjiang. I have never seen numbers or percentage of population behind those headlines. I wonder what proportion of the population they now make up.

Yes, it is several hundred people per day entering permanently or semipermanently.

Should look at the comparison. Also there are others if one look at opposition as well.

Donald Trump has 44% (as of June 12) according to FiveThirtyEight:

https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/trump-approval-ratings/

Sadly not, my wife who is from HK and strongly supports the protests just had a fight with her parents because they support the government. They even lived in mainland China during the cultural revolution, suffered for it, but still think the communist party can do no wrong.

This is false. I’m a Hong Kong citizen. I support the government. Most people that support the government just don’t bother to demonstrate.

Unfortunately, we know that people are literally paid to post pro China activism on the internet. You need independent verification to even be an anicdote.

"Unfortunately, we know that people are literally paid to post pro China activism on the internet."

It really goes both ways. You don't see pro-government support from western media because it doesn't fit their narrative. It's a two way filter. Stop thinking just because you have "free media", you'd have all facts. The fact that your parent commenter believe this is a 100% one sided matter shows how these brainwash propaganda can affect both sides.

Then good thing I didn't just notice this on "western media" and instead went and saw it for myself in Hong Kong. I've talked to HKers of all ages.

Sorry to have to break it to you, but it is unanimous. An overwhelming majority of the population is against the extradition bill, and any shows of pro-government support are manufactured as propaganda.

Lots of my young HK friends are having bitter fights with their parents because their parents don't support the protests. In any society, especially one like HK, there's always going to be a lot of pro-institutionalist people. They might not think that Carrie Lam is the best administrator possible but they think it's better not to rock the boat.

If you're out on the streets and talking to people, then of course all of them are anti-extradition since that's why they're out. Ask them instead if they know anyone who is against the protests. I'm sure they'll tell you about HS friends or uncles or bosses who are for this bill passing. The last public polling had 11% in support of the bill which, while definitely not a majority, is also not insubstantial and is too large to be dismissed as a viewpoint generated entirely through manufactured propaganda.

I see in this survey[1], 47.2% are against the extradition bill, 23.8% supports, and the remaining are neutral. I don't think 47.2% is An overwhelming majority.

[1] http://video3.mingpao.com/inews/201906/20190607_Mingpaopoll....

Hacker News is also allowed through the Chinese firewall for some reason.

Also, Chinese people travel to Hong Kong pretty freely, where there is no Great Firewall at all.

Sure. What I was trying to say is that it is very easy for people in mainland China to use this site since it is not firewalled, so expect a lot of Chinese residents to comment here.

It was more or less the only site I could regularly use when I was there two weeks for work recently.

And they are usually not paid that much.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/50_Cent_Party

Just curious, could you tell me what kind of verification do I need to provide?

Please back up your preposterous claims with data.

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