A view of Hong Kong Photo: VCG

Radical protesters in Hong Kong came up with a new trick intended to paralyze the city's financial system - burning HK$20 billion ($2.56 billion) in cash, with netizens calling the idea brainless and foolish. 

According to a picture posted on the HKSARGoodNews Facebook page, radical protesters recommended burning 10 pieces of the HK$1,000 note per person. "In this way, there would be a total of HK$20 billion being burned," the picture said. 

"At that time, there will be a lack of cash on the market and sharply rising interest rates. In that way, we would die along with Hong Kong's financial system and pin back the ears of those who only have money in their eyes," the image said.

This drew a wave of taunts on social media. A Facebook user commented that in order to reach that goal, it would require 2 million people to burn HK$20 billion, but the number of radical protesters is seriously inadequate. 

Another user sneered at the proposal: "It's very smart for a group of people who have not earned money to burn money…too brainless."

A user from the Chinese mainland also asked on Weibo, "If they want to burn money according to the proportion of wealth, how much do Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, Anson Chan Fang On-sang and Denise Ho Wan-se have to burn?"

HKSARGoodNews pointed out that banknotes belong to the banks and citizens only have the right to use banknotes. It added that any behavior of defacing, damaging or burning banknotes is deemed illegal.

Such a ridiculous idea from radical protesters is not the first. 

Before China's online shopping festival "Double 11" (November 11), a protester in Hong Kong called on other parts of the world to boycott Taobao, China's largest online shopping site. Because the goal was unrealistic, the initiator proposed a plan to do online shopping after the actual day, so as to lower the amount of Taobao's business transactions. 

Sales in Hong Kong topped among the areas outside the Chinese mainland in the first hour on the day of November 11.
Newspaper headline: HK radical protesters urge $2.5b trick to paralyze financial system