Since June 12, Hong Kong police has used various ways to disperse protesters during rallies and demonstrations. Some of the methods have sparked fierce controversy and worsened the relationship between police and Hong Kongers. While protesters used ‘popo’ and ‘黑è¦â€™ (police gangs) to describe the police, police used ‘cockroaches’ to describe protesters. Along with the protesters, various industries have also expressed concerns about police brutality. Medical and healthcare industry held rallies on July 26, August 2, September 2 and October 25 to urge the government to deal with police brutality.
To begin with the protests were rather peaceful. Despite this, on June 12, when dispersing protesters, police used batons and shields to beat up protesters, including people who were unarmed and hadn’t provoked the police. Videos show many police surrounding one unarmed protester and beating him although he didn’t fight back.
The New York Times did a video regarding police behaviour on June 12. (Source: The New York Times YouTube channel)
Some police officers, in helmets and protective gear, were attacked by protesters who threw bricks and iron bars.
The use of tear gas, bullets and water cannons
As well as batons and shields, pepper spray and tear gas are frequently used to disperse protesters as well. According to the police, since the beginning of the Anti-ELAB movement, over 9000 tear gas bullets have been fired. On November 12, when there are clashes between protesters in the Chinese University of Hong Kong and protesters, police fired 1567 tear gas just in one night.
Tear gas is so common that protesters have to wear gas masks and bring umbrellas to protect themselves. Protesters even tried to extinguish the tear gas and throw the canisters back to the police.
On June 12, protesters used water to put out the tear gas together (Source: Kenji Wong)
The police have also used rubber bullets, sponge grenades and water cannons to disperse protesters. Rubber bullets, sponge grenades and bean bag rounds are non-lethal weapons to replace live ammunition. However, if they are used inappropriately, they can become lethal. At least 3 people got shot in their eyes by rubber bullets or bean bag rounds, including an Indonesian journalist and a teacher. Two of them were to lose their eyesight forever for one of their eyes. Police claimed that the dyed water used in water cannons is harmless when they first used water cannons on August 31. However, when they used water cannons again on October 20, a few journalists claimed that their skin felt like it was burning.
Since the government is reluctant to respond to their demands, protesters have escalated their violence. They made petrol bombs to try to attack police and started fires in order to stop police approaching. They also started blocking main roads and interrupted the normal operation of MTR, the metro in Hong Kong. However, facing live ammunition, they had no choice but to retreat.
The police used live ammunition for the first time on August 25 as they claimed that protesters outnumbered them and their lives were threatened. They successfully left the scene firing towards the sky. Ever since, live ammunition has become more common in the protests. On October 1, the national day of China, a 17-year-old got shot in his chest during a protest. The police later claimed that the boy was shot in his shoulder and the police officer who decided to shoot was under threat.
This video shows the police went towards the protesters by himself and attacked protesters first. (Source: Editorial Board, CityU SU)
In this video, the wounded person said his chest is hurting. (Source: Editorial Board, CityU SU)
Lack of the police's accountability
Protesters usually wear all black during protests. Gas masks, helmets and safety goggles are necessary to protect themselves from tear gas, pepper spray and bullets. Some of them also hide their faces because they do not want to be recognised by the police and get arrested later. It may be difficult to recognise protesters’ identity, however, identifying officers is even more difficult when they are in full gear. They even put reflective materials on their helmets. When their faces are recognisable, the public can’t tell their identity since they don’t show their police identification.
It is difficult to recognise police’s identity when they are in full gear. (Source: Ming Pao)
On July 7, a plainclothes police officer who only wore a helmet and a shield claimed that it is not necessary to show police identification when they are in operation. (Source: Stand News)
The spokesman of the police always encourages the public to file a report if they find the police’s behaviour inappropriate. But sometimes there is no way for citizens to know the identity of the police, which makes it impossible to report them. Moreover, the government has shown full support to the police force which encourages them to do what they believe is right, to maintain social order by all means.
On September 10, pro-China businesswoman Annie Wu gave a speech at the 42th session of United Nations Human Rights Council, saying that violent protesters destroyed the harmony in Hong Kong and Hong Kong police is doing its job professionally. The public was then urged to boycott restaurants and shops belonging to the Maxim Group as she is the daughter of Maxim’s founder. Protesters also started breaking windows of those restaurants and shops to show their discontent because they think she defamed protesters on an international platform.
So far, not a single police officer has been charged with using excessive force during operations, and no independent committee has been set up to investigate police misconduct. Even the police who shot the boy in his chest hasn’t been charged. This is why one of the five demands by protesters is to establish an independent committee. Some of the protesters even demand a reform of the whole police force.
Philip John Dykes, the current Chairman of the Council of the Hong Kong Bar Association, once said that ‘what is potentially more corrosive to the rule of law, is any police violence that is not accounted for. Because if police officers can use excessive force, and there is no accountability, that in many ways, is worse than turning out in an unlawful protest.’
One of the most important police’s duties is law enforcement. While the government and police’s supporters are claiming that the police are doing their jobs, protesters disagreed because they think the police uses excessive force during operation. No matter which side is right, the most serious problem is the police’s lack of accountability.
WAN Tsz Tung, Ruby