Humboldt County Photographer and Cannabis Nursery Owner at Hong Kong Airport as Protesters Clash With Police
A Humboldt County businessman, Mikal Jakubal, is tweeting from the Hong Kong airport this morning as protesters and police face off. Jakubal was scheduled to leave the country today where ongoing protests have disrupted normal routines but put off leaving because, he tweeted, “of uncertainty.” Jakubal owns Plant Humboldt, a cannabis nursery based out of Southern Humboldt. He advertises on this site.
In early June, protesters began trying to stop a bill that would allow people to be extradited to mainland China for trial. They feared China would use it to target political opponents and pick away at their civil rights.
Recently protesters flowed into the Hong Kong airport and began disrupting flights.
About 4:50 our time, Jakubal reported the mood was relatively mellow with protesters even handing out beers.
Free-beer selfie at Hong Kong airport where #hongkongprotests are providing not only free water and hot food, but even beer. Behind me, protesters are blocking the departures gate and have shut down the airport for the second day. pic.twitter.com/BcXmS20MkS
— “Mikal, do you really think that’s a good idea?” (@MikalJakubal) August 13, 2019
But recently the mood has gotten more serious. And protesters are moving from rhetoric and symbolism like this:
Protester at Hong Kong Airport, dressed as the woman who lost an eye at the hands of police two nights ago, apologizes to stranded travelers. #hongkongprotests #antielab pic.twitter.com/yVBdwa3wPx
— “Mikal, do you really think that’s a good idea?” (@MikalJakubal) August 13, 2019
Now they are barricading the entrances and police presence is increasing as seen in this image from a CNN reporter:
Protesters have barricaded the entrances. Heavy police presence outside including elite riot cops. Have seen cops with riot flags. Pepper spray used at least once. pic.twitter.com/LinpYcCtYN
— 𝕛𝕒𝕞𝕖𝕤 𝕘𝕣𝕚𝕗𝕗𝕚𝕥𝕙𝕤 🇭🇰🏴 (@jgriffiths) August 13, 2019
We’ll be checking in with Jakubal throughout the morning but you can follow him on Twitter @MikalJakubal
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Be careful stay out of the way as much as you can cuz you are in a foreign country hope you can get on your flight soon
Hong Kong airport looks like a good place to be away from right now.
This guy never struck me as very intelligent
Then you clearly don’t know him. He is a very intelligent, well-informed and socially conscious person. Pretty much always three moves ahead of others. I should know, we’ve been friends for almost 35 years.
If he is your friend of 35 years, then if you are in contact with him, please let him know the HK cops won’t be knocking heads easy if they (have to) come in and restore order. And they will if this goes on much longer. Your friend can hide out at the end of the international terminal safely and hope the cops won’t bash him when they see he’s western. If he’s in the middle when all hell breaks loose and he’s being “socially conscious” with the protestors, he has a very good chance of being seen as and ending up as a scapegoat western instigator. Not good. Remember, Hong Kong cannot afford to let China come in to restore order.
What kind of yellow stripe have we got running up our backs anyway? The people of Hong kong are fighting to keep the semblence of democracy, and we think the reporter is ignorant for covering the story?
The cowardice of the American people laid bare.
So true.
The article states he is a photographer and nursery owner, not a reporter. He can do much more good by surviving to spread the story at home, instead of getting wrapped up in China’s hard policy. He’s not ignorant, just in a serious situation, possible over his head. Have any of you out there ever had to deal with a country like China that takes protestors and makes them disappear without a trace? It’s easy to sit at home and proclaim how high and mighty we are. Most people don’t have the guts to fill a fish, but they do have a mouth that can run like a river. American colonies beat the British by using guerrilla tactics to defeat them. Native Americans did the same, and had several notable victories. Nothing wrong with doing that to win.
This morning’s news. Note the fourth paragraph.
https://www.foxnews.com/world/hong-kong-chinese-military-soccer-stadium-satellite
Maybe you think I’m yellow, but I don’t care. I’ve been there. Many times. Places where they line you up against a wall and put a bullet in your head, then just walk away. People think the world is like the good ole U.S.A. It’s not. Fight when you can win. Cut and run to live to fight another day when you don’t have a chance. This guy could easily end up in serious trouble.
I went to Beijing for 8 days.
One day, walking around the streets a guy on a bike came up to me and tried to sell me movies. They were movies that were not out yet on disc, pirated I guess.
I started looking through the pile he laid out in front of me. I chose a few to buy and was still looking ( this was a matter of 2-3 minutes) when all of a sudden a white van speeds up to the sidewalk and halts to a stop.
2 men jump out of the side door like a movie, run up to me and the movie seller.
In a flash.
Before I could blink they had grabbed the man who was selling the discs. They threw him into the van and sped off.
They took his bag of movies and left his bike on the street.
My host later would tell me that selling pirated movies was illegal.
Anyhow, all of the people were very friendly.
This was 2 years before they hosted the Olympics.
One glaringly obvious thing I noticed in and out of Beijing was extreme wealth inequality.
The Hong Kong situation now is quite serious.
It will be more or less serious soon, depending on what China does.
I hope the best for Hong Kong. The better of the two Chinese systems.
That last paragraph warned my heart. Too many Americans are ever ready to talk on impulse without understanding that other places are not like the U.S. American tend to think they can say anything when they are abroad and it will be just like here. No you don’t have American rights overseas and no, the American embassy will rarely save your rear end when you get into trouble.
Thank you
👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾💯💯💯💯💯 sooooooo many keyboard warriors out there… What you said is 100% correct you have no rights in a foreign country, they will throw you under the jail and let you rot… then your family is spending their life earnings trying and praying they can get you out…
its all good clean fun until they start rolling tank over your ass.
That’s great that an international issue like this was able to find a way to your local lap, Kym.
Good luck Mikal!
Dang, free beer! That’s what American protesters are missing! Get those rallies bigger with some free brewskies!
Thank you Kym for providing a forum for Mikal to share his ‘on the spot’ observations!
THE PROTESTERS IN HONG KONG DESERVE OUR SUPPORT!
As we Americans, where the right to protest is enshrined in our founding, sit on our asses, ‘trusting the system’, while our hard fought protections are torn down, and our government becomes more openly fascist, the people in Hong Kong (France, Sudan, etc.) lead by example!
That said, the protesters in Hong Kong need beware now about being coopted by provocateurs. China is now referring to them as ‘terrorists’. Best that they take the power and influence they have gained and sit down with the HK government to see what changes they can make, lest their movement becomes something a little less dramatic than what came of the Tianamen Square protests.
That said, I hope I am wrong and they will succeed with their actions!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1989_Tiananmen_Square_protests
Most people in the United States could not find Hong Kong on a map if you circled it with a red sharpie. So you think they give a crap about Chiner stomping all over the terists in Hong Kong, hell no!
Now if facebook goes offline for an hour, look out there will be blood flowing down the streets. Don’t under-estimate how freaking stupid we are in the USA.
Fascism or socialism. Either way our fundamental rights and founding fathers dream of a free country are jeopardy. NWO plan is to control the soon to be 15 billion people in the next 50-75 years. Control=no freedom, but than again….. no hope=no fear. Good luck out there, it’s only gonna get a lot worse before it gets better.
BREAKING NEWS:
GETTING SERIOUS. PUSH COMES TO SHOVE!
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/hong-kong-flights-canceled-again-as-protesters-take-over-airport-terminals_n_5d528da0e4b05fa9df0468fb
Is Mikal going to Russia next? There are protests there too about wanting free elections. Imagine that!
hong kong is a good place for drug dealing Humboldt cartel members – send them all over there ? good riddance ?
[edit] You drank the kool aid about Humboldt County and don’t like it. Have you ever even been there? Sorry darling. Go drink another beer or what ever. Stop judging what you don’t know anything about.
Does anyone remember that Hong Kong was under British rule from 1841 until 1997 except for Japanese rule during WWII? Taste of freedom’s worse than none at all if you live in China.
Beers and Blockades! What an interesting place and time to be! Sounds like Hong Kong knows how to get down, and get tings done! Best of luck to all participating! Awsomesauce!
Thank you Kim for reporting this.
https://www.moonofalabama.org/2019/08/violent-protests-in-hong-kong-reach-their-last-stage.html#more