Meanwhile, the city government’s surprise package of economic sweeteners does not appear to have eased tension among key levels of society – to dissuade younger adults from taking to the streets again.
On Wednesday, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po announced HK$19 billion (US$2.44 bn) worth of tax cuts and other measures “to tackle the current economic difficulties and the coming economic headwind”. He claimed it was not related to the political crisis.
The package included tax waivers, extra payments for elderly and people with disabilities, plus benefits for people renting public housing, a subsidy for household electricity and cash handout to students from kindergarten and secondary schools.
But the core group in the protests – university students – may not directly benefit. And many say the move to ease public discontent won’t work.
“I will take the money but it doesn’t mean I won’t join the protest,” a middle-class mother surnamed Lee with a son aged six told Asia Times. Lee said she had joined protests since June against the extradition bill, and to oppose “excessive use of force” by the police.
“In fact, that is my money. I would rather the government give it back to me than to spend them on tear gas to fire the protesters or pay an overtime allowance to police who beat up protesters.”
A secondary school student surnamed Kwan, who will receive a HK$2,500 student subsidy, had a similar reaction, saying he would rather see the money spent on Hong Kongers rather than the construction of the Lantau Tomorrow Vision, a megaproject the chief executive Carrie Lam proposed, Sing Tao Daily reported.
Kwan said that with the government failing to respond to the five demands from protesters, he believed they must take to the streets or else it would be a betrayal of hundreds of their colleagues who have been arrested.
Other people said they will still go to the protests – and use the money to buy gear for protesters on the frontline.
The exclusion of university students or young people from the relief package was criticized as a bid by the government tried to polarize citizens.
Ivan Choy Chi-keung, a senior lecturer at the Chinese University Hong Kong, said the relief package may help the business sectors and low-income citizens. But the protesters were young middle-class people fighting for political demands, so they would not be appeased, local media reported.
Choi believed the measures aimed to help pro-government parties to avoid backlash in district council elections in November.
Other groups such as the Manufacturers’ Association welcomed the measures, saying it would reduce risks amid worsening economic prospects and the trade war.
With reporting by AFP
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