China blocks export of black clothing to Hong Kong
Protesters have adopted as their uniform: black T-shirts, jeans and sneakers, often paired with a black face mask
Pills
October 18th, 2019
October 18th, 2019
In recent months, Hong Kong has been the scene of mass protests and demonstrations against China, which began on 9 June with the rejection of an amendment to the Extradition Act (later canceled). As the weeks went by, the situation degenerated, awakening a tension that deepened with the imminent date (2047) when Hong Kong's autonomy from China would come to an end. This threat to Hong Kong's independence has led millions of people to take to the streets in search of more democracy.
Among the actions taken by the Asian state, there is also, as told by the site scmp.com, the ban on exports of black clothing to Hong Kong. The protesters adopted as their uniform black t-shirts (often slipped into pants to reveal undercover agents that would mask the guns), jeans and sneakers, often paired with a black face mask or with the mask of the character Guy Fawkes of the movie V for Vendetta.
A notice sent on July 11 by the courier company PHXBUY would confirm the request of the Chinese mainland customs to stop the delivery of certain products. The list is very long and include “yellow helmets, yellow umbrellas, flags, flagpoles, poster banners, gloves, masks, black T-shirts, metal rods, fluorescent tubes, bludgeon clubs, foodstuffs, liquid, powder, gases, counterfeit brand products, big machines, helmets, umbrellas, wrist bands, towels, safety vests, speakers, amplifiers, trestles, walkie-talkies, drones, black shirts and other clothing, goggles, metal beads, metal balls, horticulture scissors, metal chains, torches, binoculars, remote-controlled toys”. A user of the Shopify online retail platform confirmed the restrictions:
“I'm writing to see if anyone else is having trouble shipping ‘black’ clothing items into Hong Kong from China? For those who don't know, China has put out an official [Public Service Announcement] to all courier services to stop picking up any clothing items that are considered black or even navy blue for an undisclosed amount of time.”
Most of the protests are peaceful, but there have been riots with the police, arrests, injuries and strong moments of tension and violence, so much so that Zhang Xiaoming, head of the Chinese Cabinet Office, responsible for Hong Kong's affairs, has described what is happening in Hong Kong as "the worst crisis since 1997", that is, since the city's return under Chinese rule. Up to now, Beijing has reacted with censorship and threats, but, according to many, it would be ready to force the army to intervene. In a recent state visit to Nepal Chinese President Xi Jinping said:
"Anyone who attempts to split any region from China will perish, with their bodies smashed and bones ground to powder."
China has forced Hong Kong flagship airline Cathay Pacific to ban staff who had participated in the protests from flying in Chinese airspace, and to sack some staff. Recently, NBA preseason games were dropped by Chinese state television broadcaster CCTV after Daryl Morey, general manager of the Houston Rockets NBA team, tweeted in support of the Hong Kong protests.
