Transcripts For LINKTV Democracy Now 20140902

Trial of four former blackwater operatives accused of killing 14 iraqi civilians in Nisoor Square blackwaters youngest victim, a documentary by the oscarnominated filmmaker s. Then we go to hong kong, china, or thousands protested over the weekend, 19 members of occupied arrested calling for greater political freedom. First, two federal judges issue major rulings to prevent most of the Abortion Clinics in texas and all of them in louisiana from closing. All of that and more coming up. This is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. Fighting continues to rage in Eastern Ukraine amidst a worsening standoff between kiev and moscow. Separatist rebels have taken from ukrainianas forces. Ukraine says Russian Forces are directly involved, with president poroshenko accusing moscow of direct and open aggression. On monday, russian renewed calls for ceasefire between the Ukrainian Government and the separatist, but ukraine has vowed to continue the fight saying a ceasefire would mark a russian victory. In a statement, the cranny defense minister said the continued violence in ukraine comes ahead of a nato summit in britain later this week. Nato officials said they plan to uproot a 4000member force that can be rapidly deployed to Eastern Europe in response to russias aggressive behavior. President obama has notified congress of new u. S. Airstrikes on iraq really one month after they began. Over the weekend, u. S. Warplanes bombed targets around the iraqi city of amerli. Iraqi forces and shiite fighters rebel to break the siege on sunday. The attacks must president obama waits strikes on isil in neighboring syria. Democratic senator Dianne Feinstein said when it comes to taking on the islamic state, president obama has been perhaps too cautious. Corks i have learned one thing about this president , and that is he is very cautious. Maybe in this instance, too cautious. I do know the military, i know the state department, i know that others have been putting plans together. So, hopefully, those plans will coalesce into a strategy that can encourage that coalition from their nations arab nations. The u. S. Has carried out over 100 strikes on iraq since president obama or two arming order the bombing on august 8. U. S. Has carried out a new military operation in somalia. The pentagon says it was targeting leaders of the militant group alshabab, but released no further details. As theke comes Washington Post reports the u. S. Has reached an agreement to open a second drone base in niger. Israel has announced what is believed to be its largest seizure of Palestinian Land in three decades. These really government says it will take nearly 1000 acres near bethlehem to help expand one of its illegal west and settlements. Hes now saidroup the Israeli Government is undermining any chances of a negotiated peace. Declaration of expansion of settlements by the Israeli Government is very significant. We dont remember such a big announcement in the last one or two decades. This is a step in the back. Instead of strengthening the Palestinian Authority for mass as well as showing its other side in a unilateral move expansive and destroying chance of renegotiation. Tothese really of elastic seize more palestinian territory in response to the june kidnapping and murder of three seller teenagers in the west bank. Meanwhile in the gaza strip, a u. S. Backed group says it will take 20 years to repair the damage caused by israels recent assault. According to shelter cluster, israel sevenweek attack on gaza destroyed 17,000 housing units. Palestinian Officials Say israel has continued to ban the import of Construction Materials since the ceasefire agreement was reached last month. Pakistan continues to face a. Olitical crisis thousands camped out in front of the Parliament Building in islamabad calling for the prime ministers resignation. Opponents accused him of vote rigging. The protests have turned violent in recent days with demonstrators briefly occupying a government broadcaster and street clashes that left three dead and over 500 wounded. The Pakistani Parliament is holding an emergency session to discuss the crisis today. Protesters marched in ferguson, missouri saturday, three weeks after the Police Killing of unarmed africanamerican teenager michael brown. The opposite who brown, darren wilson, remains on paid leave as he faces a grand jury investigation. We are beyond angry and we are frustrated. We feel three weeks later there has been no actionable words. We dont have an arrest. We dont even really know why the officer has not been indicted. Among those who attended the march on saturday was the reverend from Ebenezer Baptist church. While this is an issue that occurred in ferguson, it really is emblematic of a National Problem. The National Problem being police brutality, the over policing of communities of color. Mike brown died as a tragic casualty in an ongoing battle that seems to be for the soul of america. On monday, small group staged a symbolic action by blocking the state highway for several minutes, bringing traffic to a halt. A larger highway blockade was called off after a request for Michael Browns father. Organizers say they plan old another highway blockade at a later date in a bid for the appointment of a special prosecutor. In Oklahoma Police officer has been indicted on allegations of rape and Sexual Assault against eight women, all of them africanamerican. Daniel holtzclaw is accused of carrying out the alleged assaults after threatening victims with arrest if they did not comply with his sexual demands. He faces charges of rape, forcible oral sodomy, sexual battery, and indecent exposure. Federal judges have blocked a pair of new laws that could have closed most of texas is 19 Abortion Clinics and all five of louisianas. On friday, federal judge blocked a texas law due to take effect monday that would have required all Abortion Clinics to meet the same standards as hospital style surgery centers, even those that offer nonsurgical abortions with medication and simple early surgical abortions. Last year, the controversial an 11rew mass protest and hour filibuster by state senator wendy davis. On sunday, federal judge in louisiana issued a temporary restraining order just hours before a new abortion law would have begun forcing physicians who provide Abortion Services to have patientemitting privileges at hospital within 30 miles of their practice. More on this story after the headlines. The nations top Immigration Court has issued a landmark ruling for immigrant women victimized by Domestic Violence in their home countries. The board of immigration appeals ruled last week for the first time immigrant women who face severe abuse from a spouse or partner can obtain u. S. Asylum. The ruling came after the Obama Administration abandoned a longrunning federal stance in the case of an abuse victim from guatemala. President obama has vowed to take executive action on Immigration Reform by the end of the summer in the absence of congress, but he has reportedly considered a delay until after the midterm elections. The New York Times reports he is deciding whether to put off action until november in a bid to help Vulnerable Senate democrats. The author and reporter Charles Bowden has died at the age of 69. He reported extensively for newspapers and magazines and altered 11 books to my many about drug violence in mexico after the passage of nafta. Cartoonist max cannon told the tucson sentinel in 2010, Charles Bowden spoke to democracy now about his views on how to end drug violence and massive migration in mexico. Nafta. Ave to negotiate we can have a peaceful country were destroys the livelihood of the people. You have to have the right to organize a union, decent wages. Realize the war on drugs is a disaster. It is 40 years in, we are at war with their own people and destroying nations like mexico. Mostu are against drugs, of your viewers and listeners are on them, whether they got them from their doctor, but if youre a constructs, this is a Public Health issue. You dont send a cop because youre having a cardiac. The third thing is, change our immigration law. We have 20,000 men and women on the line with guns hunting mexicans. These mexicans are coming north theire nafta destroyed economic base in mexico. Youre not going to have a Peaceful World if youre making war on the floor. I dont have a solution to immigration, but i know one solution is, nobodys going to stay there until they have a decent living there. If we destroy their living, theyre going to cut hair. But to see our full interview, you can go to democracynow. Org. The journalist died this weekend at the age of 69. And those are some of the headlines. This is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. Majorn now to developments in womens access to abortion. Over the past three days, federal judges have blocked a pair of new laws that could have forced the closing of the majority of texas is 19 Abortion Clinics and all five of louisianas. On friday, federal judge blocked a texas law due to go into effect monday that would have required all Abortion Clinics to meet the same standards as hospitalstyle surgery centers, even those that offer nonsurgical abortions with medication and simple early surgical abortions. Texas already requires clinics that provide abortions after 16 weeks of pregnancy to meet Surgical Center standards. Controversialhe rule drew mass protest and 11 hour filibuster by state senator wendy davis, who is now running for governor. Said ity, judge yeakel would place unjustified obstacles on womens access to abortion without providing significant medical benefits. Meanwhile on sunday, federal judge in louisiana issued a temporary restraining order just hours before a new abortion law would have begun forcing physicians who provide Abortion Services to have patient admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles of their practice. This relates to another portion of the ruling in texas. Judge yeakel wrote, to Abortion Clinics in the states isolated rio grande valley, one in el paso and one in mcallen, could be excused from the admitting privileges requirements on the books in texas. For more were joined by the ceo of whole womans health, which operates the mcallen clinic along with four other clinics and was a party in the lawsuit. Amy Hagstrom Miller has been working in abortion care since 1989 and the founder and ceo of whole womans health. She joins us from virginia on the campus of university of virginia. Welcome to democracy now can you start out by talking about the significance of both of these rulings . Absolutely. Friday was a very significant day for us. It has been a long fight and a long year. We have seen this queue militant affect over the last 10 years with new restrictions past, making access to safe, professional care more and more difficult for women in states like texas and louisiana. Judge yeakels decision wass strong. He outlined a lot of the things weve been talking about, about an undue burden for women and specifically, women of color and women in rural areas throughout the south who have even higher burdens and those of us who live in suburban areas. Where optimistic records are starting to see these restrictions have nothing to do with women safety but about politics. Before we move on to the case in louisiana, explain exactly what the law would have required and what judge yeakel said he would put on hold. There are four different provisions in the law that was passed year and a half ago. The most highly covered in the most restrictive are the hospital admitted in privileges and the requirement that all procedures, even as you said medication abortion procedures and very simple first trimester procedures, be done and hospital,a mini inventory Surgical Center. That was the part of the law to go into effect yesterday. Judge yeakel blocked it on friday. The admitting privileges, part of the regulation went into effect as november and we brought another case challenging that also in judge yeakels court and that is in the fifth circuit and we have asked for an en banc decision. One restricted abortion care beyond 20 weeks and another basically made medication abortion honest impossible. All four of the provisions were tot of hb2 and combine create in a must impossible environment for abortion providers to stay open answer women in communities and for women to actually be able to travel and make it to a safe, professional provider in their state. Some i say, what is wrong with having a clinic that is hospitallevel, and the other, why not have doctors have admitting privileges at local hospitals . What are the problems with these . One, there wasnt a safety problem with abortion care in the state of texas that these laws were addressing. Abortion has been safely provided for over 40 years in this state and dr. Officebased settings. Abortion, while it is morally and ethically complex, medically, it is quite a civil procedure. There are no incisions. The procedure takes five or six minutes. It is absolutely and safely provided in a Doctors Office clinic setting. This hospital setting the andires airflow systems much more intricate and involved plant is designed for much more invasive and complicated surgeries like knee surgery or eye surgery or surgeries that take three or four hours with general anesthesia. That is not the complexity of abortion. Here in lies the problem. The actual cost to build one of those facilities is out of reach for the vast majority of us who serve the women who need abortion care in the state. Secondarily, the admitting privileges is an interesting thing. This is the only procedure that requires admitting privileges for physicians. The vast majority of our medical system is delivered outside of that sort of Surgical Hospital setting. There many physicians who have private practices in their offices where theyre doing minor procedures. They are not bringing surgeries into the hospital setting. It is complicated to explain quickly, but hospital admitting privileges our relationship between the hospital and a doctor that requires the physician to admit a certain amount of patience annually. Most abortion providers may admit one or two patients in the span of 10 years. Doesntuirement actually have to do with safety, it has to do with access. Can you talk about your clinic in mcallen, what judge yeakels decision means in texas for the womens Abortion Clinic there . Yes. Were making plans to reopen our mcallen clinic. It has been on main street right across from city hall and the city of mcallen for years. Women have been calling us, whether or not the clinic is open, women still need the care. Weve been managing trying to help women travel north and help women manage their health care in the absence of our ability to provide it. Were delighted to be able to reopen the facility later this week. Were making plans to try to reach out to our staff and physicians and try to set up a surgical session as soon as possible. The phone has been ringing the whole time, even when we have been closed and weve been trying to help those women. Right when the law was enjoined this past friday, we began to call some of the women who had called us earlier that week, telling them that later this week we hoped to be able to actually see them locally in the mcallen clinic again. The number of clinics that have closed since the law was passed and how many you see my open like yours . In 2012, the report he for facilities serving the population in the state of texas. Thishas dropped to 19 at point. If the law had not been enjoined, it would drop again to 6. With this injunction, there many of us that will be able to either stay open, like my austin or my ft. Worth office and my senator no office, and my Mcallen Office be able to reopen. There will probably be other providers able to reopen their facilities. Hopefully, our Austin Office and our beaumont clinic we had to close earlier this year we are looking at reopening them as well. I think a majority of us in the state, especially those of us communitybased, independent providers, are really watching closely to the fifth circuit. The state challenged judge yeakels injunction within about 30 minutes of him issuing it, and has challenged it already to the fifth circuit. Were watching closely to see what is happening next for us. Than awe only have less minute, but talk about the decision that came out of baton rouge, louisiana. It is my understanding, im not a next part in louisiana like an texas, but it is my understanding that decision also blocked a very restricted law from going into effect that would have taken that states clinics from normal five general two, which is completely inadequate to serve the needs of the women and that community. Amy Hagstrom Miller, thank you for being with us, working in abortion care since 1989 and is the founder and ceo of whole womans health. When we return, the jurors are out in the blackwater case, the killing of 14 civilians in Nisoor Square in 2007. We will bring you the voice of the father of the youngest victim. Stay with us. [music break] this is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. Jurors will begin deliberating this week in the murder and manslaughter trial of four former blackwater operatives allegedly involved in the 2007 massacre at baghdads Nisoor Squares Nisoor Square. The suspects are charged with the death of 14 of the 17 iraqi civilians who died when the black water unit indiscriminately opened fire. The trial features testimony from witnesses who survived the attack and saw loved ones gunned down. In closing arguments last week, prosecutors said blackwater guards had shot fleeing civilians and boasted of taking their lives. Nisoor square is the highest profile deadly incident involving blackwater or any private war contractor and the first witness to testify in the Blackwater Trial was a man who brokemmad kinani, down when he described how his nineyearold son, ali, was shot in the head while running the back seat of the family car. Soani reportedly sobbed uncontrollably when testifying, the judge temporarily dismissed the jury. The next day, one juror said she a been too haunted to sleep him and causing the judge to excuse her from service. We turn now to remarkable documentary that tells mohammad and ali plus story called, blackwaters youngest victim. The film was created by big noise films and democracy now in association with the nation magazine and the nation institute. It was shot by rick rowley and narrated by germanys scale. It begins with Mohammad Kinani recalling the day he lost his son. Remembering the scene, i am reliving it is if it were happening now. I will not forget those few minutes. You asked me, i will answer with absolute clarity. Blackwaters youngest victim. Back debt, symptom or 16, 2007. Surely before noon, a convoy of four Armored Vehicles these the green zone in iraq. The men inside our elite private soldiers working for blackwater. The codename, raven 23. The men had defied orders from superiors and proceeded onto the streets of baghdad. There again told to return to base. They did not. Within minutes, Blackwater Raven 23 would arrive in congested baghdad intersection known as Nisoor Square. Later, at least 17 iraqi civilians would be dead, and a shooting that would go down in infamy as baghdads bloody sunday. You probably have never heard his name, but you likely know something about how nineyearold ali Mohammad Kinani died. He was the youngest arson killed in Nisoor Square by blackwater. To this day, blackwater has never faced justice for killing the iraqis that they. His father is determined to change that. Want the truth. I want the truth to be known and the criminals punished. This is the story of the death of young ali kinani and his father has provided us with the most detailed eyewitness account of the Nisoor Square massacre ever given to u. S. Media outlet. Kinani and his wife lived with her three children in baghdad. Mohammad ran his familys auto part business and he adored his youngest son ali and the family officially called him by his nickname. He would sleep in my arm. He was 9. 5 years old, but still slept on my arm. He had his own room, but he never slept alone. When u. S. Forces rolled into baghdad in april 2003, mohammad probably took is meant to greet took a subject greet u. S. Military. Mohammad was that rare personification of the neoconservative narrative about the u. S. Invasion. Before september 16, 2007, mohammad had never heard of blackwater. Now he thinks of them and that day every waking moment. He remembers ali was not supposed to be in a scar that day. Mohammad was on his way to pick up his sister and their children for a visit. Ali came running out of the house. Upmohammed and ali picked his sister and the three children and made their return home. The return journey would bring them through Nisoor Square. Ahammad found himself in traffic jam and thought it was u. S. Military checkpoint. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary to him when he saw the Armored Vehicles block off traffic. As mohammad and the family waited in the suv, the men in the car next to them was frantic. He said i think someone was shot in the car in front of you. Mohammad watched in horror as they look a white sedan in front of his eyes. Inside, mohammad later learned, were a young iraqi medical student and his mother. As chaos and blood flow to the square, mohammed remembers the face of one man in particular who tried to flee the blackwater gunmen. As mohammed set in his suv with his nineyearold son ali, his sister and her three children, he realized for them, attempting to escape was not an option. As the shooting intensified, mohammad yelled for the kids to get down. He and his sister did the same. It seemed to mohammad like a miracle had blessed his car. We are life, who thought. As the blackwater forces retreated, mohammad told his sister he was when a check on the men who have repeatedly been shot by blackwater. That is when his world crumbled. At the hospital, mohammad was told because of ali plus severe head injuries, he would need to be rushed to a neurological hospital. That night, mohammad returned home and his father greeted him at the door. Mohammad later returned to Nisoor Square to gather what pieces of alis skull and brain were left. After ali died committee was in the sea in baghdad offered his family at thousand other condolence payment, making clear was not a remedy for what happened and not a substitute for any legal action against the shooters. Initially, mohammad refuse the money but the embassy urged him to take it. They eventually did, but with one condition, half the money be donated to the family of a u. S. Soldier killed in iraq. Quits mohammad carries a letter sent to his family by general realogy narrow cozying euro. Familyohammed and his for the death of his son, have to washington, d. C. , blackwaters owner was summoned before the u. S. Congress. He said blackwater been the victim of an armed ambush Nisoor Square in Nisoor Square a divinity conduct of his then saying acted appropriately at all times. Quite see who it is that lack water personnel have shot and killed innocent civilians, dont you . No, sir, i disagree with that. I think there has been times when guys are using defensive force to protect themselves, to protect the package theyre trying to get away from danger. There could be ricocheted, traffic accidents, yes, this is war. Watched those hearings live and was outraged. At the hearing, state Department Document revealed before Nisoor Square, the department had coordinated with like water to set a low payout for a iraqi shooting victims, because in the words of a secured official, if it was too high, iraqis may try to get killed by augusta financially guarantee their familys future. Despite his brazen denials, the thought of suing blackwater didnt cross mohammads mine. He readily cooperated with federal investigators and believed justice would be done in america. Then he says, blackwater step in. In fairburn 2008, abc news did a brief story about mohammad. The day was posted online, blackwaters attorney threatened to take legal action against the network am accusing abc of defamation. What outraged mohammad was that blackwater denied his forces killed ali, clamming instead he was killed by stray bullet, possibly fired by the u. S. Military an hour after blackwater personnel had departed the scene. Blackwater claimed ali was hit by warning shot that ricocheted and killed them. It was not even possible, blackwater lawyer claimed, that blackwater was responsible. Shortly after that, mohammad said in a recce attorney approached him, but he wasnt just any lawyer. He was the chief prosecutor of the supreme iraqi criminal tribunal which prosecuted saddam hussein. He was the iraqi lawyer. Mohammad agreed to meet with them and blackwaters regional manager. He said they offered him 20,000. Mohammad confronted the blackwater manager about the companies claim the u. S. Military, not blackwater, may have killed ali. Mohammad through the pen and paper the blackwater manager and left the meeting. On september 15, 2009, the night before the second death,sary of alis and the six printz men he believed a responsible for his death. Mohammad is represented by lawyers are not political. Them, the nationality and citizenship of their client is irrelevant. Mohammads lawyer, politic and send. The u. S. Army was over there fighting for people just like mohammad and he has come here with a heart full of belief in the Justice System in the United States. This is not about National Security at all. These were people who were in a Public Square in iraq, much like the main intersection in charlotte, north carolina. The primary intersection in the city where we live. It is the equivalent place for where this occurred. The blackwater employees were in that square and they opened fire. Them gathered flames of evidence and interviewed scores of eyewitnesses, but perhaps the greatest piece of evidence comes from one of the men they are ng, germany which way jeremy ridgeway. He pled guilty to killing an arm and him civilian. What mr. Ridgeway has said, raven 23 was not supposed to be there and what byy did was not justified any provocation whatsoever. This is not some lawyer making some hyperbolic argument, this is mr. Ridgeway who was there and working for blackwater at the time. In addition to that statement, they plan to introduce statements made by other blackwater guards in the square that they who said they were horrified at what their colleagues did, saying they shot at civilians for nothing and for no reason. But the justice departments criminal case against blackwater very much up in the air, Mohammad Kinani could well be the one man left standing between black water and total impunity for the Nisoor Square massacre. This is the last case standing in the United States right now. This is it. This is it. As we wrapup our time together, Mohammad Kinani shows cell phone video of young ali hopping around a Swimming Pool with his young cousins and siblings. He says to his dad, i am allawi. Blackwaters youngest victim. By the oscarnominated filmmakers germanys cahill and rick rowley. Jurors begin to liberation this week in the manslaughter and trial of four former blackwater operatives involved in the symptom or 16 2007 massacre at baghdads plus Nisoor Square. Toammad kinani was the first testify at the trial. His nineyearold son, ali, died that day. We will be back in a moment. [music break] this is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. China, to hongto kong, where 19 people were arrested monday, one day after thousands protested calling for greater political freedom. The demonstrators were organized by group called occupy central a day after the Chinese Government rejected demands for hong kong to freely choose its next leader in 2017. Under the new rules, hong kong voters will be allowed to choose the territorys own chief executive but all candidates must first be approved by nominating panel. Activists fear the nominating panel will be controlled by probeijing loyalists who will prevent opposition candidates from running. Totesters are threatening blockade the Central Business district of hong kong. Hong kong was under british rule for over 150 years. In 1997, a returned to chinese rule but has operated under different economic and political systems than Mainland China as part of a policy known as one country, two systems. To talk more about the protests, we go to hong kong to speak with claudia mo, hong kong legislator and civic Party Founding member. She attended the protests on sunday. Welcome to democracy now tell us why the protests. China has practically shut the door on hong kongs political reform. And instead, they have announced a framework under which they will screen out any election candidates beijing fines undesirable fines undesirable. This is fake democracy. We cannot accept any fake democracy. It is going to be like north korea. We have to take to the street to protest. Andre fighting this battle we have been doing it for years and years. E may not win we have not won it yet, but we will fight on. On monday, prodemocracy protesters in hong kong disrupted a speech by the senior beijing official of chinas National Peoples congress. They chanted slogans and waved placards accusing beijing of breaking its promise to allow hong kong to select its leaders directly. After the protests stopped, li fei continued to defend beijings position. It is to reduce the risk involved in universal suffrage. One, it reduces the risk of political confrontation. Two, it cuts the risk of a constitutional crisis. Three, it minimizes the risk of populism. Attitudesland china, about the events in hong kong are reportedly mixed. On chinas twitterlike platform , some users have criticized protesters in hong kong for pushing for democracy now, rather than while under British Colonial rule. One user wrote could you respond to that, claudia mo . It is very ridiculous. It is a nobrainer, really. Was underkong colonial rule, it was colonialism. What you expect . When youre living under symbiosis roof, it is does somebody elses roof, it is a colony. I have to add the last governor of hong kong actually did a very fighting for more democracy for hong kong. After 1997, what is supposed to come under one country, two systems and enjoy anything except for defense and diplomacy. Hong kong people should be allowed. Were supposed to enjoy our own autonomy. We can decide on our future, etc. But beijing has now turned back on its own word. It is practically telling hong kong it has complete. Urisdiction over hong kong and democracy . We want to give you that much. It is that much. And if we dont like it, the idea at all, that is it. That is all you can get. And this is not fair. I think the u. K. Government, in particular, should at least say something. I know very Little London can do, but it is a moral obligation on londons park, so they should at least tell china not to go back on its word. Can you explain what occupy central is an talk about its plans to blockade the Central Business district of hong kong, claudia mo . Central, this idea, i think it was sparked by occupy wall street. Well, it is not quite what were fighting for is not quite exactly the same. In america, youre fighting against an established ,apitalism and vested interest and so on and so forth. In hong kong, were fighting against the established clinical might called the Chinese Communist party. We use the central district, which is our cbd, the equivalent, and were going to be there to well, block traffic and not exactly to try to scare beijing, but to show the rest of the world, the international community, that we have loads of grievances, particularly on the political front. And we need International Attention on our plight. What exactly are you calling for, claudia mo . Not proany western country. We are prouniversal human rights. Were just asking for the basic, not just one man, one vote kind of election, but we have genuine choices of candidates. Hand picks candidates come up to three. It is all beijing loyalists. You ask hong kong people to vote, and you claim one man, one vote, and you can pretend that hong kong is running and enjoying some cut of democracy. I dont want particular lease and ground, but all democrats in hong kong realize we are answerable to history and responsible for the next generations. If we cannot get genuine democracy at this stage, we would rather keep the status quote and we will soldier on. Claudia mo, civic party thank you soer, much for speaking to us from hong kong. That does it for the broadcast. Democracy now is looking for feedback from people who appreciate the closed captioning. Email your comments to outreach democracynow. Org or mail them to democracy now p. O. Box 693 new york, new york 10013. [captioning made possible by democracy now ] p1utt