The unfortunate part is not WHAT the protesters are asking, it is about HOW the protesters are asking. For those who were only watching from the western mainstream media, you are missing out on some footage of the whole picture. E.g) You may have seen police beating up protesters, but you were not told that police were beaten by surprise from behind. You may have seen police fire warning shot with lethal weapon, but you were not told that police chased by mob of angry protesters who were wielding metal rod at a police who fell on floor. You may have seen police shot a protester who was later identified as a high school student, but you were not told that a mob of angry protesters were wielding sharpened metal rod, hammer and wrench on another police who were chased, jumped on and fell on floor in front of him. You may have heard police shot a 14 years old on the street and then being set on fire by petrol bombs but you were not told that he was surrounded by mobs of protester in his car before, being assaulted from behind after he stepped out and beaten up on the ground by surrounding mobs with metal rods. You may have seen police shooting tear gas and rubber bullets at crowds, but you were not told that police were launched by bricks, metal rods, slingshot, petrol bombs or metal road sign from the bridge above their head. You may have seen "pro-China" citizens removing stickies and posters on wall, but you were not told "pro-China" citizens were beaten up with severe injuries. You may have seen 'pro-China' chanted 'We are all Chinese' beaten up by protester, but you were not told that he was being spied on his personal cellphone by the so-called 'reporters' and a western 'reporter' blocked his way out by shutting the door in front of him. Unless you can understand Cantonese, you definitely were not told that many citizens were famed for attacking reporters or females, beaten severely and unconsciously only because they expressed different opinions in the public or taking picture of protesters vandalizing public properties / stores / banks. You would not be told that professors were locked up and surrounded by mob of angry students only because he expressed different opinions on social media. You would not be told that many high school students were trained or encouraged by their teacher to set fire on the street or fight against police. You may have read a female lose an eye and accused of police weaponry, but you were not told that the same girl whom assisted by the opposition party filed an objection to police to obtain her medical record for investigation to proof her claim. Unless you can understand Cantonese, you would not be told that protesters are always asking others to open their umbrella to shield themselves from being recorded when they are vandalizing properties or beating up people with different opinions. You may have been told that they are fighting for their freedom, but you were not told that none of their already owned freedom were taken away. You may have been told that they are fighting for their 'future', but you were not told that they are very willing to sacrifices the 'present' of many families who were still making a living nor the 'past' of those who contributed to the society.It is not true that all actions from the police are justifiable. But at the same time, HongKongers youth are definitely smart nowadays, they know exactly the interests of the western media. Hence they will always play nice with 'reporters' from different colors and always portray themselves as the victims in many incidents.
PostPost|6 years ago
Quiet, non-offensive protests do not work. Large-scale, massive protests that disrupt society have a chance of working.
I also don't think it's reasonable to expect that police tear gas protesters and shoot them in the face with rubber pullets and expect zero acts in return - especially since one of the HK demands is an investigation into ongoing Police Brutality.
dirtyid|6 years ago
The protesters have never asked nicely. The history of HK protests post handover has been couched in nativism bigotry against mainland China, the very audience they should be trying to win over. If their problem was the Chinese government, they wouldn't be targeting mainland people and their businesses. Whatever little effort they made to reach out was framed in "support us because you're brainwashed" language. They would be burning CPC government flag instead of the Chinese national one. They wouldn't be waving western flags, which may as well be tiki torches, or appealing to western authorities.
Ever considered why no one ever had the idea of waving the Chinese flag and petitioning the Chinese for change? They should try it. It's easy for the CPC to look the other way and watch the city burn, it's much harder for the CPC to ignore 2 million HKers who wave the Chinese flag for a better future. Of course that doesn't play well with the west, but maybe they shouldn't be focusing on them in the first place. The cost of their strategy is that on mainland China, whose sentiment their future depends upon, HK protestors are viewed as the equivalent of alt-right agitators instead of patriots: disenfranchised, social media savvy, economically anxious youth who see their culture being displaced and their privileged being eroded by immigrant mainlanders. Rich ones come in to buy all the property, poor ones use up all the social services. These are common complaints to the mainland locust narrative - when the mainland sends their people, they're not sending their best.
baq|6 years ago
moggie2|6 years ago
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_9elA4YTKU&list=WL&index=10... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ms5RHsSR50I&list=WL&index=10... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGP78BMboWc&list=WL&index=10... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Es3zNcbCBs&list=WL&index=99... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xmxW0RAqT8&list=WL&index=96... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KlpDIvljNM&list=WL&index=94... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRdXjsGlh2s&list=WL&index=93... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fgo8AJ84SFY&list=WL&index=92... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gACHVcOA1xc&list=WL&index=90... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AmFZQc57G0&list=WL&index=88... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaNunaVVSQM&list=WL&index=87... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIC2kRA-P58&list=WL&index=86... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TG8aF4o37Zg&list=WL&index=80... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOYEv6phLGA&list=WL&index=79... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bk4P1oeItOA&list=WL&index=76... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8a6IevQsjo&list=WL&index=75... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RCjnBSGvfY&list=WL&index=74... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6q-7aW0WR9w&list=WL&index=73... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6q-7aW0WR9w&list=WL&index=73... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuyYVJH6ARM&list=WL&index=72... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qCoFKpmMHk&list=WL&index=67... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMKkQs81PgE&list=WL&index=63... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRDZZyHCP8A&list=WL&index=54... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CE-lPakRVM&list=WL&index=53... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUnapSWRV8w&list=WL&index=47... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fl5am0fuex8&list=WL&index=42... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwVX_T9NMJ0&list=WL&index=39... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEA92KPpgcM&list=WL&index=41... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwVX_T9NMJ0&list=WL&index=39... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIau2kwxzZA&list=WL&index=38... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDcfwLna7kw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btm6NrOpmo4&t=13s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdyCyJhb7Ww