Today, the Hongkongers have many more times the political freedom and human rights under the Hong Kong govt. If they were to protest against the British colonial masters like they did today, they would have been machine gunned down like the British did to the Indians in India.
The grievances against poor housing were not the doing of the present govt, but the legacy of the colonial rule. This can be easily resolved by a massive resettlement programme with new cities in the neighbouring provinces. With the improvement in high speed trains they could be in Hong Kong in less than half an hour, free from the jams in crowded Hong Kong and living in spacious and reasonably priced housing. Their quality of life could take a quantum leap for the better, and they could have all the economic freedom and the new political freedom and human rights under a China that is racing ahead in economic growth and prosperity. They could travel the world freely like the Chinese and enjoy the growth and prosperity of a new China. But they chose to protest, to riot, to get themselves criminalised, harmed and maybe killed or deported eventually, when the good life is theirs to make.
I have digressed from the topic of free enterprise in Hong Kong today. Look at the following pictures of the police riot wear and those of the rioters. Both are equipped to the best they could get, money could buy, in free enterprise Hong Kong.
Hong Kong riot police wear. Pic from CNA
Rioters' riot wear. Pic from SCMP
Another rioter very well equipped and protector from tear gas and other material thrown at them by the police. Pic from SCMP
From the above pics, the rioters are just as well equipped and protected as the riot police. I can't call them protestors anymore. They have turned into rioting and bordering on being terrorists. They could buy all their protective gears easily from the streets of Hong Kong. There is apparently no control on these items. Even the dangerous laser lights could be purchased freely to be used against the police.
Where else would a govt allow such equipment to be sold on the streets like toys, easily available to the rioters, to be used against the police? Oops, someone told me another story. The rioters could get their gears easily because some parties are supplying them and the police or some quarters of the govt are closing an eye to this business.
What is real? Is the Hong Kong govt so stupid to allow these gears and dangerous equipment to be made available so easily, in abundance to the rioters? Is this free enterprise in Hong Kong or a conspiracy involving some parties in the govt, and the whole thing is a big wayang?
The best thing for China to do is to declare an emergency and remove all the colonialists in the govt. The Hongkongers are Chinese and should not be ruled by foreigners that filled the bench in the Supreme Court to rule against the interest of Chinese people, Hong Kong and China. This is the time for China to clean up Hong Kong from colonial rule. Hong Kong is not ruled by Hongkongers but by foreigners, with high court judges that are not Hong Kong citizens, not Chinese citizens, some holding dual nationality, some simply foreign citizens. This shameful existence of foreigners in the Supreme Court has to be cleansed immediately. Hong Kong is China and not a part of the British Empire.