Hong Kong Riots: A family split apart: Blue vs. Yellow

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The Hong Kong protests have become symbolized by supporters on both sides wearing different color ribbons. Yellow for the anti-government demonstrators and blue for those who are showing their support for police and the authorities. It is an issue which has caused massive divides across the city in schools, work-places, social areas, and even families, as our reporter Ge Yunfei found out.

Yellow and blue, the colors of battle in the Hong Kong unrest. When politics is causing such a stir in society, it's inevitable that cracks will also start to appear in ordinary families. Take Miss Pan, for instance, a 54-year-old single mother of two.

MS. PAN HONG KONG RESIDENT "I have two daughters. One is 22, the other is 17. Both are yellow ribbons, especially the younger one who is deep yellow."

Politics has become a real flashpoint in their daily lives.

MS. PAN HONG KONG RESIDENT "When we see the TV news about the protests and touch upon the protest topics, we immediately have a row."

Pan is participating in the demonstrations, but she's a blue-ribbon and is actively showing support for the police and the government, something which deeply aggravates her daughter.

And the hostilities are also casting a shadow on the lives of younger children. Andy is a ten-year-old boy still only in primary school, but even he's caught in the middle.

ANDY PRIMARY SCHOOL STUDENT "My aunt is a police officer so she supports the police. But my dad supports those protesters. My mom is neutral."

Andy said he's deeply concerned about the violent scenes, and he often fears for his aunt's safety.

Ms. Lin is a civil servant and a blue ribbon. Her two sons are hardline protesters or yellow ribbons. The arguments in this household forced her to leave for a while.

MS. LIN HONG KONG RESIDENT "I told them the democracy that you young people are pursuing is not about letting you do whatever you want. You have your freedom. You can vote on your council member. But Mom can make her own choice. You can't tell me what to do. Then they got very angry and even tried to beat me. I turned very angry too and left home immediately that night."

Ms. Pan shares the same sentiment. During the day, she's a clerk at a financial institution. At night, she works at a convenience store, all in a bid to support the dreams of her two daughters.

No one knows when the protests will end. But for the millions of families here, it's hoped they can find ways to agree to disagree, so they can get on with their lives peacefully.