Letters | Hong Kong protest violence is the product of peaceful persuasion ignored

Far from being “intoxicated” by mob rule, protesters who resort to violence are desperate to be heard after months of being ignored by a heartless government and tear-gassed by an increasingly brutal police force

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A tender moment between protesters in the middle of a blocked road following an unsanctioned march through Hong Kong on September 29. Photo: AFP

Published: 8:15am, 25 Oct 2019Updated: 8:15am, 25 Oct 2019

I am writing in response to Yonden Lhatoo’s “No silent majority in Hong Kong, only a terrified minority while the rest are fine with mob rule and anarchy” (October 5). He condemned the radical protesters for creating complete chaos in the city with violence and vandalism, describing them as “intoxicated by the success of mob rule”. He put the blame for the public acceptance of the situation on professionals, accusing them of finding excuses for the violent actions on the front lines.

The protests are definitely violent, but what are the reasons behind the actions of the “rioters”?

The movement started with two entirely peaceful protests, each with more than a million amassed on the streets opposing the extradition bill. But the government ignored the demands of the people, leading the protesters to question the usefulness of peaceful demonstrations.

Moreover, people started to question the credibility of the government. Having long feared that they would soon be living under the rule of Communist China, they seized the timing to urge the local government to grant them the democracy they were deprived of.

But instead of receiving what they needed, unarmed citizens were met with tear gas, rubber bullets and countless cases of police brutality. The protesters had no choice but to gear up, both to protect themselves and to put pressure on the government. The police were not “maligned”. They had turned themselves into the enemy of the people by failing to do what they should: protect the people.

More than four months have passed, and the government still refuses to address the problem it has created, and not a single policeman has been punished for misbehaviour. Just three days after the first live round was fired at a protester, the government invoked a ban on the wearing of masks under the emergency regulation ordinance, which put the chief executive above all restrictions of power. Hong Kong is now ruled by a potential dictator, and protesters were more desperate than ever to save the last hope of democracy from drowning.