unprecedented scenes with all flights on Monday cancelled

for the rest of the day because of protests unfolding behind

me.

Thousands of people from Hong Kong have come to the airport

to voice their discontent at the government and police, who they

say took extraordinarily violent measures last night

against protesters in the city.

Earlier today there was absolute pandemonium

at the airport with thousands of people filling the arrival

halls, the airport's express, and buses to the airport.

And we even saw people walking from Hong Kong

out to the airport because there was no other form

of transportation.

And yet they still wanted to join the crowds.

Last week Hong Kong had its first general strike in more

than half a century where hundreds of flights in and out

of Hong Kong were delayed or cancelled.

Economists I spoke to said that if it

were just a one-off, and that was the first and only time

that Hong Kong's airport was disrupted due to the protests,

that would be one thing.

But it would be another thing if we

saw the airport shut down again because of the protest

movement.

And that's exactly what we've seen today

with Hong Kong airport shut down for the second time in one

week.

So over the past few weeks we've seen China ratcheting up

its signals and indicating its extreme discontent

with what is currently going on in Hong Kong right now.

Beijing currently faces a dilemma

Because on the one hand, it is outraged and horrified

at the growing violence and discontent in Hong Kong.

But on the other hand, it is hesitant to intervene

because of what it would mean for the international hub.

Hong Kong is considered a gateway into China

and is seen by international businesses

as having a relatively stable economy and robust rule of law.

And anything that Beijing were to do

to undermine that and the perception of that,

could really hit Hong Kong's economy.