Ahead of Mong Kok Clearing, Polls Show Hongkongers Have Protest Fatigue

Hong Kong police officers look at a barricade built by pro-democracy protesters in the Mongkok district of Hong Kong on November 19, 2014. Hong Kong police clashed with pro-democracy demonstrators early on November 19 after a small group attempted to break into the city's legislature, with tensions spiking as court-ordered clearances of protest sites get under way. (Alex Ogle/AFP/Getty Images)

As police announce the clearing of an area in the Mong Kok protest site, public opinion polls show Hongkongers want the occupation to end.

Steve Hui, chief superintendent at the public relations bureau, said in a press conference on Wednesday that the plaintiffs — two taxi associations and a public mini-bus company — bailiffs, and the police had met earlier that day to discuss the court injunction after the Court of First Instance authorized the police to help execute court orders.

Steve Hui, police chief superintendent at the public relations bureau. (Youtube screenshot)

A policeman walks past a broken window of the government headquarters building in the Admiralty district of Hong Kong on November 19, 2014 after a small group attempted to break into the city's legislature. (Philippe Lopez/AFP/Getty Images)

While the Hong Kong government and the pro-democracy camp have condemned the incident and the unidentified protesters, who many believe are not Occupy protesters, it is unclear how the break-in and its aftermath will affect the Mong Kok protesters, the police, and the public come Tuesday.

In fact, the protesters might not be able to rely on public support anymore in the event of police violence as recent surveys by Hong Kong universities indicate that support for the Occupy movement is waning.

About 67.4 percent of those polled by the Chinese University of Hong Kong feel that the protesters should end their occupation immediately.

The University of Hong Kong also released the results of their own survey on Tuesday, Nov. 18, which found that 83 percent of the 513 polled think that protesters should end the occupation.

Interestingly, 58 percent of those in favor of the occupation ending are between the ages 18 to 29, the age group most likely to support the Umbrella Movement.

About 55 percent of those polled on Monday and Tuesday say that they oppose the Occupy movement, while only 28 percent support it.

Meanwhile, even pro-democracy supporter media mogul Jimmy Lai also thinks that its time for protesters to call it a day.

Hong Kong media tycoon and pro-democracy supporter Jimmy Lai attends a rally near the government headquarters in Hong Kong on September 28, 2014. (Alex Ogle/AFP/Getty Images)

In an interview with Australian publication The Age, Lai, who shows up at the Admiralty site almost daily to show his support for the student-led Occupy movement, said: “People are getting tired.”

“We cannot exhaust the goodwill of the people, but it doesn’t mean we have to yield.”

“We should retreat when the momentum is there, while our determination and will are strong,” Lai added.

“Then we will be able to come back.”