Hong Kong airport closed after protesters swarm in

Thousands of protesters shut down Hong Kong’s International Airport on Monday, defying an intensifying police crackdown, as China issued ominous warnings that described the protests as “terrorism” and began massing a paramilitary force in a southern borde

The situation

Protesters who had been occupying the airport’s arrivals hall swarmed into the departures area Monday, prompting authorities to cancel all flights and advise travelers to leave one of the world’s busiest hubs.

The airport takeover was a stark display of the power of the anti-government protests, which are now in their third month, to disrupt the basic functioning of Hong Kong, an Asian financial hub known for order and efficiency. Its airport is a crucial connection point for regional air travel, and the cancellations affected thousands of passengers.

Why is this happening?

The chaos was the latest flareup in a summer rife with protests that began in early June to oppose legislation that would have allowed extraditions to mainland China, where the courts are controlled by the ruling Communist Party. That proposal has since been suspended but not fully withdrawn, and continues to drive anti-government sentiment.

Will China respond?

Fears are beginning to mount that Beijing would soon resort to military action to quell the protests in the semiautonomous territory. Chinese media broadcast a video showing Chinese armored personnel carriers heading toward the southern city of Shenzhen, which borders Hong Kong, ahead of what the paper called “largescale exercises” by the People’s Armed Police, a paramilitary unit.

On Sunday night, Hong Kong police intensified their crackdown with new and more aggressive tactics. Officers disguised themselves as protesters to arrest suspects, launched tear gas inside a subway station and fired on protesters at close range with non-lethal ammunition.

The police actions appear to be part of broader efforts by the Hong Kong government, with support of officials in Beijing, to end the political crisis, through an approach that includes ramping up pressure on businesses, and leveling heavy charges against anyone arrested.