hearing an expat conversation that makes me want to rip my hair out. So much "this is not how to have a dialogue," and "both sides need to talk." 1/

The Vice Chancellor of CUHK went out to negotiate with police and students last night. He started with police. Then went to students. When he went back to cops after talking with students, a cop said "this isn't time to negotiate."

then this happened... https://twitter.com/Comparativist/status/1194218687936397312?s=20

District Council members have been at nearly every protest trying to de-escalate situations. They've been routinely gassed, pepper spray, and arrested. One was arrest for - no joke - obstructing police because his megaphone was too loud.

Social workers get the same treatment.

But that's just at the tactical level. At the strategic level, Carrie Lam's one (1) 'public dialogue' session saw nearly everyone who was randomly selected tell her how horrible she is and endorsed one or another of the Five Demands.

Her response boiled down, essentially, "thanks for your opinion, but it doesn't matter." What's worse is that she doesn't even bother to provide a coherent counter-argument. There's virtually no attempt to persuade - only condemn the fact that the city is on fire b/c of her.

I've noted this before: there's virtually no effort on the other side to even make a persuasive argument that everyone should just shut up, stop coming out, and get back to whatever 'normal' would be after this. https://twitter.com/Comparativist/status/1189091524681728001?s=20

IMO, there is room to compromise within the Five Demands. Like insisting that someone caught throwing a Molotov directly at a cop has to spend some time in jail isn't going to derail these hypothetical peace talks.

Yet this is a hundred steps ahead of what the HK gov's position has been since June. There's 0 room for negotiation. I don't think she's even sat down for a meeting with the opposition parties since taking office, not that they even represent the movement. https://twitter.com/Comparativist/status/1194627129951969281?s=20

What we're fighting for now is that this can't be the new status quo, that this can't ever happen again, for HK political leadership is held accountable for their violence and incompetence, and for our next leaders to legitimate powerholders.

The stakes are existential on both sides, so we 'talk' like this https://twitter.com/LianainFilms/status/1194255511740395520?s=20