Hong Kong airport ramps up security, but operating normally despite planned "stress test" protest

Reuters - Hong Kong's airport and the roads and railways leading to it were operating normally early on Saturday (August 24) despite plans by protesters to implement a "stress test" of transport links to the aviation hub early in the day. Those seeking to enter the terminal had to show valid boarding passes and passports, Reuters witnesses said. Train stations feeding the airport, as well as roads to it, were largely clear, with a light police presence along some access routes. Many travelers said they don't mind the security check and lines at the airport. Authorities had taken out a court order to prevent demonstrations at the airport, which was forced to close for part of last week after protesters thronged the main terminal for several days, grounding around 1000 flights and occasionally clashing with police. The protests, which began as opposition to a now-suspended bill that would have allowed suspects to be extradited to mainland China, have swelled into wider calls for democracy, plunging the city into an unprecedented crisis and posing a direct challenge to China's leaders.