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Hong Kong's Grandpa Protesters Speak Softly, Carry a Stick

Agence France-Presse

   HONG KONG - "Grandpa Wong" holds a cane above his head as he pleads
   with riot police to stop firing tear gas -- an 85-year-old shielding
   protesters on the front lines of Hong Kong's fight for democracy.

   Despite his age, Wong is a regular sight at Hong Kong's street battles,
   hobbling toward police lines, placing himself in between riot officers
   and hardcore protesters, hoping to de-escalate what have now become
   near daily clashes.

   "I'd rather they kill the elderly than hit the youngsters," he told AFP
   during a recent series of skirmishes in the shopping district of
   Causeway Bay, a gas mask dangling from his chin.

   "We're old now, but the children are the future of Hong Kong," he
   added.

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