For Hong Kongs pro-democracy activists, exhaustion overtakes enthusiasm and hope
After a night of unrest, pro-Beijing supporters faced off with pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong's Mong Kok neighborhood. (Reuters)
HONG KONG They called it the Lucky Supply Station, a small mountain of donated goods nestled under a bridge near the heart of Hong Kongs protests.
All week long, a hardy band of pro-democracy demonstrators had manned the little way station at the easternmost edge of the main protest site.
With little sleep and few breaks, they and others at stations throughout the site distributed food and water to protesters and protected their supplies from rain, sweltering heat, police and opponents of the protests.
At night, the team took turns sleeping on the supply cartons to prevent authorities from dismantling their station.
The first night, demonstrators were filled with anger after an assault by police with tear gas, pepper spray and batons. Then came the exhilaration of ensuing nights, as thousands of people poured into the streets to join their cause.
By Friday, however, only exhaustion and frustration remained as torrential rain and flagging morale depleted the ranks of those at the station.
People are getting tired and cranky, sighed William Chan, as the lanky 17-year-old sprawled out on a crate of bottled water.
Squabbles had flared in recent days among competing factions of protesters over the next steps in their fight for unrestricted voting rights, he noted. Public opinion which had swung toward the students after the polices tear-gas attack was also now rapidly turning against them as their occupation continued to paralyze large sections of the city.
Gangs of masked men had stormed other occupation sites and pummeled protesters, trying to chase them off the street.
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For Hong Kongs pro-democracy activists, exhaustion overtakes enthusiasm and hope