The Hong Kong protests send a message Americans can hear loud and clear | By Frida Ghitis for CNNOpinion
Frida Ghitis, a former CNN producer and correspondent, is a world affairs columnist. She is a frequent opinion contributor to CNN, a contributing columnist to the Washington Post and a columnist for World Politics Review. Follow her on Twitter @fridaghitis. The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author. Read more opinion on CNN.
The images made you catch your breath. Under torrential rains and a canopy of umbrellas, thousands upon thousands of pro-democracy protesters defiantly -- but peacefully -- marched along the streets of Hong Kong on Sunday. China's regime has been trying to intimidate the protesters with credible, ominous threats that they could use brute force to put down the protests. Still, pro-democracy marchers turned out in astonishing numbers for the 11th week in a row.
Frida GhitisTo the rest of the world, and to many in America, the bravery of the people of Hong Kong comes with a message: Is this what you should be doing?Organizers claimed 1.7 million marched. Authorities gave a much lower estimate for the initial gathering, but didn't update their figures. In a city of about 7 million, the organizers' estimate would amount to a huge segment of the population. Americans and their friends took notice.
China releases police training video amid HK protests 01:19Hong Kong, of course, is not the only place where pro-democracy demonstrators have taken to the streets, recently, challenging regimes with a history of violence, despite what look like dismal odds of success. In Russia, the riot police have been beating and imprisoning protesters who have peacefully demonstrated to call for free and fair elections.
How Sudan targeted the women driving protests 03:19But there are enormous differences between what is happening in the United States and in Hong Kong, Russia and elsewhere.One of the crucial differences is that the United States is still a functioning democracy with a viable path, through existing institutions, to bring about change. If Trump loses reelection, we expect that he will leave office under a system that guarantees that transfer of power.
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