Hong Kong Protests Have a Life of Their Own

(Bloomberg) --

Joshua Wong is easily the most recognizable Hong Kong pro-democracy activist, not least because of a Netflix documentary lionizing him as the “Teenager vs. Superpower” for his role in 2014 protests.

So his arrest today along with other opposition figures quickly reverberated around the world. It’s a sign the Hong Kong government is stepping up efforts to quash demonstrations that have rocked the city for nearly three months.

But for Hong Kong authorities -- and their overseers in Beijing -- the arrests won’t do much to stop the demonstrations. Wong now plays at best a peripheral role in a largely leaderless movement fueled by anonymous users on discussion platforms like Telegram and LIHKG, a forum like Reddit.

Perhaps a more important development was the cancellation of a march planned for tomorrow in central Hong Kong after police denied a permit. Already there is chatter online about a push to go “shopping” there instead, code for an unauthorized gathering. Many of those have turned violent in recent weeks.

And that’s the real problem for Hong Kong, and China: Protesters no longer need identifiable leaders like Wong.

Global Headlines

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End of the road? | Many of the 10 candidates who didn’t make the cut for the third Democratic presidential debate now face a big decision — drop out or keep running at the end of the pack. Losing a spot on the stage means more than just being deprived of a powerful platform. It’s a signal to donors, supporters and primary-state voters that an already-struggling candidate has failed to break out.

Unwanted gift |  Donald Trump campaigned on a promise to ease the grip of environmental rules he said were throttling businesses. But time and again, his deregulatory moves as president have drawn the ire of the very companies that were expected to benefit, Jennifer A. Dlouhy reports.

Summer miscalculation | In less than a month, Matteo Salvini has seen power slip from his grasp. Read John Follain’s account of how the man who was on course to rule Italy alone was undone by a cocktail of ambition, betrayal and opportunistic friendships among many lawmakers keen to avoid elections that would have left them jobless. Out in the cold, can the most popular politician in the country claw his way back?

Diplomatic gymnastics | Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido's campaign to oust President Nicolas Maduro has proven a minefield for diplomats on the ground. As Samy Adghirni reports, envoys who initially supported Guaido found themselves in the awkward position of needing to deal with Maduro's government as the opposition efforts faltered.

What to Watch

• A Scottish judge today refused to block U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s plan to suspend Parliament, a blow to lawmakers who argue there isn’t enough time to thwart a no-deal Brexit. 
• Trump has canceled a trip to Poland this weekend because Hurricane Dorian is poised to strike Florida, and will send Vice President Mike Pence in his place.
• Ukraine said a long-anticipated prisoner swap with Russia is in process but cautioned that officials have not completed an exchange yet. It could be a first step in renewed efforts to resolve the conflict between the neighbors.
• The U.S. and China were scheduled to have a conversation about trade, Trump said, without giving details.

And finally… Ivory Coast’s youngest and most media-savvy politician has asked his Twitter followers to design a logo, write a slogan and come up with a theme song for his latest political movement. In a country dominated by aging leaders who rule strictly from the top down and don’t take kindly to feedback, Guillaume Soro's contest is guaranteed to win him attention, especially from the young, ahead of next year’s presidential elections.

--With assistance from Kathleen Hunter, Rosalind Mathieson, John Follain and Anthony Halpin.

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Flavia Krause-Jackson at fjackson@bloomberg.net

©2019 Bloomberg L.P.