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Pro-democracy activists Joshua Wong and Agnes Chow shortly after their brief arrest on August 30, 2019. REUTERS / Tyrone Siu

The territory of Hong Kong is still shaken by the pro-democracy movement. Today is the fifth anniversary of Beijing's refusal to hold elections by universal suffrage, a decision that triggered the 2014 "umbrella movement". A movement carried, among others, by the young Joshua Wang arrested a few hours yesterday, Friday, August 30, like other members of his party and several deputies. In order not to, say they, throw oil on the fire, the organizers have withdrawn their call to protest this afternoon.

With our correspondent in Hong Kong, Florence de Changy

It is obviously still too early to predict how this day will unfold but it is undeniable that there is some tension. This is the first time that an assembly proposed by the Civilian Front for Human Rights is not allowed in Hong Kong. However, their last event, which took place on August 18th with 1.7 million people went without incident or overflow.

And, in addition to this ban, perceived as unfair, we have everything that happened yesterday, with a series of arrests of known figures but also it seems many arrests of simple protesters. So some of the Hong Kong people today are going to want to show that this is not how they will be silenced and that since they technically and legally have the right to assemble and the right to protest, they will make good use of it.

Go out on the street, whatever the cost

So we expect to see a number of people out on the street at any cost. To this must be added the determination, it seems, of certain radical groups, exasperated by the absolute immobility of the government, which has not made the slightest gesture of compromise. The police just said in a brief statement that a public event on Hong Kong Island was likely to cause severe disruption today. So, clearly, everyone expects action but no one knows exactly what.

Point of no return

For this thirty-year-old man who quit his job at a large real estate developer to engage full time in the current movement, the crisis comes to a point of no return: " They will not withdraw because they think that the government never and will not respond to their requests. They say very clearly that since Carrie Lam does not answer, they will use any means until their death. This is what is said about online groups. They will fight until their death. They say that it will go further. For them, it's the final battle. The final battle. "

For now, as a precaution, the metro has announced the closure of some stations, indicating in its release " a public event on the island of Hong Kong ."

► See also: Hong Kong: the two protesters Joshua Wong and Agnes Chow released