User:Tuanminh01/Draft07

Tactics and methods


The 2019 Hong Kong protests have been largely described as "leaderless". No group or political party has claimed leadership over the movement. They mainly played a supportive role, such as applying for Letters of No Objection from the police or mediating conflicts between protesters and police officers. Protesters commonly used LIHKG, an online forum similar to Reddit, Telegram, an optionally end-to-end encrypted messaging service similar to Whatsapp, to communicate and brainstorm ideas for protests and make collective decisions.

Protesters also upheld several praxis. The first one was "be water", which originated from Bruce Lee's philosophy. Protesters often moved in a mobile and agile fashion so that the police found it more difficult to respond. Protesters often retreated when the police arrived, though they would reemerge somewhere else. Unlike previous protests, the 2019 protests were diversified to over 20 different neighbourhoods throughout Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories witnessing protests. In addition, protesters adopted the black bloc method. They wore mostly black face masks to protect their identities and have subsequently worn helmets and respirators to further protect themselves. Furthermore, protesters used a range of methods to counter the police force. They used laser pointers to distract police officers, sprayed paint on surveillance cameras, and unfurled umbrellas to protect and conceal the identities of the group in action. A mobile app was developed to help protesters to crowdsources the location of police.

There are mainly two groups of protesters, namely the "peaceful, rational and non-violent" protesters and the "fighters" group. The "peaceful group" chanted slogans during marches and from their apartment at night, sang songs such as "Glory to Hong Kong" in flash mob rallies, and joined religious gatherings, singing hymns such as "Sing Hallelujah to the Lord". Some of them volunteered as medics, started hunger strikes, formed human chains, started petition campaigns, organised general strikes, obstructed public transport services, launched boycotts against pro-Beijing shops and organisations, created protest arts and derivative works mocking the police and the government, and set up Lennon Walls in various districts and neighbourhoods in Hong Kong. On the other hand, the more radical protesters confronted the police, besieged police stations, set up roadblocks, sometimes committed vandalism and arson against government properties, pro-Beijing shops and MTR stations, and defacing symbols representing China. Nonetheless, despite difference in methods, both groups have refrained from denouncing or criticising the other. The principle was the "Do Not Split" praxis, which was aimed to promote mutual respect for different views within the same protest movement. Some moderate protesters also supported the hardline protesters by providing supplies and serving as volunteer drivers. Protesters have also set up funds to help people who need medical or legal assistance due to the protests, and set up pop-up stores that sold cheap protest gadgets for young activists.

To raise awareness of their demands, some protesters have also raised funds to place advertisements in major international newspapers, and waved the national flags of other countries, such as the US Star Spangled Banner to call for their support. Citizens press conferences were held to broadcast protesters' own perspectives to the public and counter the police's and the government's conferences. Protesters also attempted to inform tourists about the protests of Hong Kong by staging sit-ins at Hong Kong International Airport and using Apple devices' AirDrop feature to broadcast anti-extradition bill information to the public and mainland tourists. Pepe the Frog has been widely used as a symbol of resistance, and the #Eye4HK campaign, which showed solidarity for a female whose eye was allegedly ruptured by a beanbag round shot by the police, gained international momentum around the world. The Lady Liberty Hong Kong statue was also crowdfunded by citizens to commemorate the protests.

Controversies
Starting in August, protesters have escalated their use of violence. Protesters have confronted the police by reportedly throwing bricks, petrol bombs, corrosive liquid and other projectiles at police. As a result of clashes, there have been multiple reports of police injuries and assault of officers throughout the protests. The police obtained an injunction from the court to prevent the protesters from damaging the Disciplined Services Quarters and Police Married Quarters. Protesters have also occasionally directed violence towards alleged undercover officers acting suspiciously, some of which were accused of inciting the protesters to commit violent acts. The assault on reporter Fu Guohao, who was suspected to be a mainland agent by the protesters at the Airport on 13 August 2019, was described as a "setback" in maintaining public support.

60 per cent of Best Mart 360 stores were vandalised after being accused of having ties to "Fujian gangs" that have clashed with protesters. The company denied the allegation. Corporations thought to be pro-Beijing such as Maxim's Caterers and Chinese companies such as Bank of China were also vandalised or spray-painted. In particular, Maxim's operated shops, including Starbucks, were targeted after the daughter of the company founder condemned the protesters at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva. Protesters also directed violence at symbols of the government by storming the Legislative Council Complex and vandalising government offices and pro-Beijing lawmakers' offices. A large number of MTR stations were vandalised and subjected to arson, and as of 4 October 2019, 83 out of 94 rail stations had been vandalised. MTR has become a target of vandalism by the protesters after it shut down four stations ahead of a legal, authorised protest after being pressured by Chinese media.

Carrie Lam has called on the public to condemn and cut ties with the violent protesters. BBC has occasionally described some of the radical protesters as "rioters", while The Guardian speculated that the increase in violence was a response toward the police brutality. The latter article also noted that there was "little of the random smashing and looting that characterises most riots", quoting a statement from an academic at the Education University of Hong Kong to the effect that vandalism of demonstrators was focused on what they perceived to be targets that embodied 'injustice'. Protesters have since apologised for accidentally vandalising perceived "innocent" shops. Despite an increase in violence, The Independent have pointed out that "public opinion is still firmly on the side of the democracy movement's key demands", citing a poll conducted by the Chinese University of Hong Kong in October. The poll showed that 59% of the respondents agreed that it was understandable for protesters to escalate their actions as large-scale and peaceful demonstrations have failed to force the government to concede.

Allegations of police misconduct


During the protests, the Hong Kong Police Force have been widely accused of misconduct. The Independent Police Complaints Council (IPCC) has launched investigations into alleged police misconducts in the protests, although the protesters demand an independent commission of inquiry instead, as the members of the IPCC are mainly pro-establishment and IPCC lacks the power to investigate, make definitive judgements and hand out penalties. Carrie Lam has rejected this demand and had allegedly claimed that she would not "betray" the Force. Carrie Lam insisted that the IPCC was able to fulfill the task. A panel of overseas experts appointed by Lam to advise the IPCC released a report in October, stating that IPCC was unequipped due to its limited "powers, capacity and independent investigative capability" and recommended the formation of a fully independent inquiry for a conflict of this scale.

Hong Kong police were accused of using excessive and disproportionate force and not following international safety guidelines while using their weapons. According to Amnesty International, the police have aimed horizontally while aiming, targeting the heads and torsos of protesters. Its use of bean bag rounds allegedly ruptured the eye of a female protester. The police were found to have been using tear gas as an offensive weapon, firing it indoors in Kwai Fong station, using expired tear gas, which could release toxic gases such as phosgene and cyanide upon combustion. Chemical residues of tear gas can be found on different public facilities in various neighbourhoods. A reporter was diagnosed with chloracne following sustained exposure to tear gas. Several police operations, in particular in Prince Edward station, where the STS assaulted commuters on a train, were thought to have disregarded public safety by protesters and pro-democrats. The police were accused of using disproportionate force after an officer shot a young protester who struck him with a pipe with live ammunition on 1 October. The police defended the officer's actions, saying that the officer and his colleague's lives were at risk as a group of protesters was assaulting another officer at the time. Protesters argued that the officer shooting the man's chest was unnecessary and that he had other less lethal alternatives available at his disposal. Three more people have since been shot by the police.

The kettling of protesters in CITIC Tower and New Town Plaza, the operations inside private areas, the deployment of undercover officers, the suspected evidence tampering, the dyeing of Kowloon Mosque, insufficient protection for police dogs, accessing patients' medical records without consent,   and how the police displayed their warning signs have also been sources of controversy. Some police officers wore face masks, did not wear uniforms with identification numbers, or failed to display their warrant cards, making it difficult for citizens to file complaints. The police have also been accused of locking down Prince Edward Station, thereby preventing medical personnel from treating the wounded inside, and of obstructing paramedics from helping Alex Chow Tsz-Lok, thereby delaying treatment, a claim that the police denied. They were also accused of using excessive force on already subdued, compliant arrestees, and were criticised for using one of them as a human shield. Amnesty International have stated that the police had used "retaliatory violence" against protesters and mistreated and tortured some of the detainees. They were also accused of using sexual violence on female protesters. A female has alleged that riot police officers gang raped her in Tsuen Wan police station, while the police claim that their investigation did not align with her accusation. Some detainees reported the police have denied them access to lawyers. Many of these allegations were believed to have taken place in San Uk Ling Holding Centre.

The police have been accused of interfering with freedom of the press and of injuring journalists during various protests, in one case permanently blinding an Indonesian journalist in the right eye. The police was also accused of spreading a climate of fear by conducting hospital arrests, arresting people arbitrarily, banning requests for demonstrations, and arresting high-profile activists and lawmakers. Some bystanders caught up in the protests were beaten or kicked by officers. Its inaction during the storming of the Legislative Council Complex was divisive. Its slow response towards the Yuen Long and North Point attacks sparked accusations that the police had colluded with triad members. Some lawyers have pointed out that their refusal to help the victims as they shut the gates of the nearby police stations during the Yuen Long attacks might be an offence of misconduct in public office. According to the IPCC, the jamming of the emergency hotline during the 2019 Yuen Long attacks was also a common criticism. The police were also accused of upholding a "double standard" by showing leniency towards violent counter-protesters. The police have denied all of these accusations.

Some uniformed officers used foul language to harass and humiliate protesters and journalists, and some officers were accused of modifying their weapon, provoking the protesters, and grinning while using force. The Junior Police Officers' Association also used the controversial term "cockroaches" to describe the radical subset of protesters. The police's description of a man wearing a yellow vest being kicked by an officer as a "yellow object" was widely criticised. On 11 November, a video emerged showing a policeman repeatedly rammed his motorcycle into a crowd of protesters, reportedly injuring two protesters. Police stated that the officer was suspended for his actions. A police officer was reprimanded by the Police Force for shouting to the protesters, "Cockroaches... Tonight we would pop champagne and celebrate" following the death of Chow Tsz-lok.