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Drone Shows Thousands Filling Hong Kong Streets [video]

103 points by notjackma 12y ago

STRML 12y ago
Hong Kong was my home base for the last year and a half; I just missed these protests. It is really a shock to see the main streets filled with people; streets I used to walk or ride buses through nearly every day. Hong Kong is a hugely underrated, beautiful, vibrant city with extraordinarily friendly people, almost no crime, and one of the best transportation systems in the world. There's almost no place you can stand within Hong Kong that doesn't have an incredible view of something. It's also becoming a major hub for technology businesses this decade. I wish them the best of luck; it would truly be a shame if China is able to exert more major control and turn HK into yet another unlivable Chinese megacity.
- Mikeb85 12y ago
  Don't forget that Hong Kong is also a major financial hub, with the 6th(?) largest stock market in the world, and when the HK-Shanghai Stock Connect goes live in the coming weeks it'll be the second largest exchange in the world. Many western banks also do business in Hong Kong. The worst thing that would happen to Hong Kong is for the financial sector to leave - HK currently enjoys an average income 5X higher than mainland China, and higher than many western cities even.
deleted 12y ago
[deleted]
dosh 12y ago
It's hard to grasp what's really happening over there over paragraphs and few photos, but this video delivers the atmosphere in a very effective manner.
rayiner 12y ago
The whitewashing of places like Hong Kong and Singapore among the globalist set is shameful.
- pkinsky 12y ago
  ...okay. Could you provide examples and a clear argument? I guarantee you'll convince more people of your viewpoint.
  - rayiner 12y ago
    The Milton Friedman set is enamoured by freedom of the market in places like Hong Kong and Singapore: http://www.chicagobooth.edu/magazine/fall97/hongkong.html http://www.chicagobooth.edu/magazine/fall97/hongkong.html. They paper over the fact that this comes at the cost of democracy: the government uses its monopoly on violence to protect the wealthy (property rights, etc), but the people are not free to vote for protections for themselves (labor laws, etc).
    - selmnoo 12y ago
      We've had our share of problems, and continue to have them (genocide of Native Indians, slavery, persisting racism, rampant classism at many stages, corrupt for-profit prisons, the list goes on). HK, Singapore and others are developing fast, they've improved markedly in the last few decades, and I think they will continue to. I'm not saying they should get a free pass on whatever current wrong they're doing now, I'm just saying they seem to be reaching stabilization a little later and maybe a little slower than us. To totally put these places aside so strongly is a short-sighted thing to do (Pakistan, Congo, etc. are places truly deserving of this sort of criticism and outrage).
      - rayiner 12y ago
        I'm not putting aside these places, I'm asserting that progress will be them becoming more like us,[1] not the other way around. And I don't mean to whitewash our own problems, but at least they are largely the problems endemic to democracy (the majority oppressing the minority), rather than authoritarianism (the minority oppressing the majority). [1] And us continuing to resolve our own injustices.
        12y ago
lnanek2 12y ago
Should be interesting to see if the Chinese government brings in the tanks again, like Tiananmen Square.
- guard-of-terra 12y ago
  Hong Kong is an island and the part they occupy seems to be very inclined. Even if they manage to bring tanks in somehow, all they'll get is many expensive high-rises damaged, roads destroyed and many tanks lost (since they're trivial to immobilize). Will look like authoritarism fail.
Kenji 12y ago
Awesome footage. I wasn't aware of the scale of this protest. My only nitpick, if that drone malfunctions (or the batteries run out) and falls down, it'll kill someone.
- araes 12y ago
  Maybe I'm crazy, but in my judgement, the risk of occurrence for the ultra-bad (somebody dies) is low enough that its outweighed by the good (the world gets to see dramatic and illustrative views of how big a protest this is). Even the minor-bad (somebody gets cut or bruised) is still pretty low occurrence risk (its so slow and low that the crowd see, and is waving at the drone) We used to be chased by wild cats, twice our weight, in tall grass, and now we limit use of anything that might even scratch someone else. Society's great and all, it provides a good support net and enables a lot, but its trend towards conservatism is frustrating sometimes.
- jewel 12y ago
  It is irresponsible, but I think you're overstating the risk. This looks like footage from a gopro (due to the wide angle shots). This only requires a small drone to carry, like the DJI Phantom. The total weight for the phantom and camera is going to be something like 2.5 lb, and that weight is spread across a device that is rather large. I wouldn't want to get hit on the head by one, of course, but I don't think it would be possible to kill someone since its terminal velocity is going to be pretty slow.
  - robomartin 12y ago
    No, you are wrong. From that altitude it can do anything from severely disfigure, paralyze or, yes, kill someone. Did you see that shot where it flies right by that crane? Irresponsible doesn't quite describe it. I've been deeply involved in RC flight for over 30 years. I cannot imagine how these people think it OK to fly toy-grade products over people like that. A DJI with a Gopro is a toy. I have $10,000 RC helicopters and planes. They are fucking toys. Having seen the range of failure modes I have over the years I can only characterize these people as irresponsible morons. I also say this from the context of having designed and manufactured high quality electronic products for the RC and military targetting drone industries.
turar 12y ago
First thought that occurred to me while watching. Even if Americans wanted to march in a protest of similar scale, it would be physically difficult. There would be nowhere to park all their cars.
- robomartin 12y ago
  You are missing a very important cultural difference: something of this scale in most American cities would be accompanied by theft, vandalism, murder, rape, burglaries and all sorts of other displays by culturally deficient members of our society. I have been in large protests in other parts of the world where the cultural contrast is nothing less than astonishing.
  - istjohn 12y ago
    I just want to point out that first, rioting does not occur more frequently in America than it does in many other parts of the world, and second, those "culturally deficient members of our society" you speak of are also generally wealth, education, and opportunity deficient due to the apathy of our society writ large.
    - robomartin 12y ago
      You are wrong. Wealth has nothing whatsoever to do with behaving as a civilized member of society. Not one bit. I don't know about you but I have travelled a bunch and feel pretty comfortable saying that we have huge cultural holes others do not. I love my country enough to attempt to be honest about who we are and who we are not. Katrina vs. Japan Tsunami
      - istjohn 12y ago
        You know what wasn't an element in the Japan Tsunami aftermath? A hugely disproportionate impact on a demographic burdened with a history of 250 years of slavery followed by 180 years of inequality under the law. Your statements that there is a culturally deficient, uncivilized segment of our society reeks of classism, elitism, and thinly veiled racism. Own the slum, the ghetto, the failing inner-city schools. These are American institutions for which we are all responsible for, elite and destitute alike. Class disparities are a product of our institutions and policies. Our welfare programs create a poverty trap. Our justice system breeds alienation. Our schools, ignorance. If people are stupid and unhappy it is your fault and it is my fault. Since you love your country so much, I'm sure you'll help me fix this mess.

103 points by notjackma 12y ago

STRML 12y ago

Hong Kong was my home base for the last year and a half; I just missed these protests. It is really a shock to see the main streets filled with people; streets I used to walk or ride buses through nearly every day. Hong Kong is a hugely underrated, beautiful, vibrant city with extraordinarily friendly people, almost no crime, and one of the best transportation systems in the world. There's almost no place you can stand within Hong Kong that doesn't have an incredible view of something. It's also becoming a major hub for technology businesses this decade. I wish them the best of luck; it would truly be a shame if China is able to exert more major control and turn HK into yet another unlivable Chinese megacity.

Mikeb85 12y ago
Don't forget that Hong Kong is also a major financial hub, with the 6th(?) largest stock market in the world, and when the HK-Shanghai Stock Connect goes live in the coming weeks it'll be the second largest exchange in the world. Many western banks also do business in Hong Kong. The worst thing that would happen to Hong Kong is for the financial sector to leave - HK currently enjoys an average income 5X higher than mainland China, and higher than many western cities even.

deleted 12y ago

[deleted]

dosh 12y ago

It's hard to grasp what's really happening over there over paragraphs and few photos, but this video delivers the atmosphere in a very effective manner.

rayiner 12y ago

The whitewashing of places like Hong Kong and Singapore among the globalist set is shameful.

pkinsky 12y ago
...okay. Could you provide examples and a clear argument? I guarantee you'll convince more people of your viewpoint.
- rayiner 12y ago
  The Milton Friedman set is enamoured by freedom of the market in places like Hong Kong and Singapore: http://www.chicagobooth.edu/magazine/fall97/hongkong.html http://www.chicagobooth.edu/magazine/fall97/hongkong.html. They paper over the fact that this comes at the cost of democracy: the government uses its monopoly on violence to protect the wealthy (property rights, etc), but the people are not free to vote for protections for themselves (labor laws, etc).
  - selmnoo 12y ago
    We've had our share of problems, and continue to have them (genocide of Native Indians, slavery, persisting racism, rampant classism at many stages, corrupt for-profit prisons, the list goes on). HK, Singapore and others are developing fast, they've improved markedly in the last few decades, and I think they will continue to. I'm not saying they should get a free pass on whatever current wrong they're doing now, I'm just saying they seem to be reaching stabilization a little later and maybe a little slower than us. To totally put these places aside so strongly is a short-sighted thing to do (Pakistan, Congo, etc. are places truly deserving of this sort of criticism and outrage).
    - rayiner 12y ago
      I'm not putting aside these places, I'm asserting that progress will be them becoming more like us,[1] not the other way around. And I don't mean to whitewash our own problems, but at least they are largely the problems endemic to democracy (the majority oppressing the minority), rather than authoritarianism (the minority oppressing the majority). [1] And us continuing to resolve our own injustices.
      - 12y ago

lnanek2 12y ago

Should be interesting to see if the Chinese government brings in the tanks again, like Tiananmen Square.

guard-of-terra 12y ago
Hong Kong is an island and the part they occupy seems to be very inclined. Even if they manage to bring tanks in somehow, all they'll get is many expensive high-rises damaged, roads destroyed and many tanks lost (since they're trivial to immobilize). Will look like authoritarism fail.

Kenji 12y ago

Awesome footage. I wasn't aware of the scale of this protest. My only nitpick, if that drone malfunctions (or the batteries run out) and falls down, it'll kill someone.

araes 12y ago
Maybe I'm crazy, but in my judgement, the risk of occurrence for the ultra-bad (somebody dies) is low enough that its outweighed by the good (the world gets to see dramatic and illustrative views of how big a protest this is). Even the minor-bad (somebody gets cut or bruised) is still pretty low occurrence risk (its so slow and low that the crowd see, and is waving at the drone) We used to be chased by wild cats, twice our weight, in tall grass, and now we limit use of anything that might even scratch someone else. Society's great and all, it provides a good support net and enables a lot, but its trend towards conservatism is frustrating sometimes.
jewel 12y ago
It is irresponsible, but I think you're overstating the risk. This looks like footage from a gopro (due to the wide angle shots). This only requires a small drone to carry, like the DJI Phantom. The total weight for the phantom and camera is going to be something like 2.5 lb, and that weight is spread across a device that is rather large. I wouldn't want to get hit on the head by one, of course, but I don't think it would be possible to kill someone since its terminal velocity is going to be pretty slow.
- robomartin 12y ago
  No, you are wrong. From that altitude it can do anything from severely disfigure, paralyze or, yes, kill someone. Did you see that shot where it flies right by that crane? Irresponsible doesn't quite describe it. I've been deeply involved in RC flight for over 30 years. I cannot imagine how these people think it OK to fly toy-grade products over people like that. A DJI with a Gopro is a toy. I have $10,000 RC helicopters and planes. They are fucking toys. Having seen the range of failure modes I have over the years I can only characterize these people as irresponsible morons. I also say this from the context of having designed and manufactured high quality electronic products for the RC and military targetting drone industries.

turar 12y ago

First thought that occurred to me while watching. Even if Americans wanted to march in a protest of similar scale, it would be physically difficult. There would be nowhere to park all their cars.

robomartin 12y ago
You are missing a very important cultural difference: something of this scale in most American cities would be accompanied by theft, vandalism, murder, rape, burglaries and all sorts of other displays by culturally deficient members of our society. I have been in large protests in other parts of the world where the cultural contrast is nothing less than astonishing.
- istjohn 12y ago
  I just want to point out that first, rioting does not occur more frequently in America than it does in many other parts of the world, and second, those "culturally deficient members of our society" you speak of are also generally wealth, education, and opportunity deficient due to the apathy of our society writ large.
  - robomartin 12y ago
    You are wrong. Wealth has nothing whatsoever to do with behaving as a civilized member of society. Not one bit. I don't know about you but I have travelled a bunch and feel pretty comfortable saying that we have huge cultural holes others do not. I love my country enough to attempt to be honest about who we are and who we are not. Katrina vs. Japan Tsunami
    - istjohn 12y ago
      You know what wasn't an element in the Japan Tsunami aftermath? A hugely disproportionate impact on a demographic burdened with a history of 250 years of slavery followed by 180 years of inequality under the law. Your statements that there is a culturally deficient, uncivilized segment of our society reeks of classism, elitism, and thinly veiled racism. Own the slum, the ghetto, the failing inner-city schools. These are American institutions for which we are all responsible for, elite and destitute alike. Class disparities are a product of our institutions and policies. Our welfare programs create a poverty trap. Our justice system breeds alienation. Our schools, ignorance. If people are stupid and unhappy it is your fault and it is my fault. Since you love your country so much, I'm sure you'll help me fix this mess.