LettersUS Capitol 2021, Hong Kong 2019: what goes around comes around

Name: Trump supporters storm US Capitol, interrupting Congress’ certification of Biden’s victory
Uploaded: 2021-01-08T22:55:13.000Z
Duration: 5 min 52 s
Description: Trump supporters storm US Capitol, interrupting Congress’ certification of Biden’s victory

The similarities between the attack on the US Capitol and the storming of the Legislative Council in Hong Kong in July 2019 are as stark as are the differences in the response of US politicians to the two events

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Supporters of outgoing President Donald Trump clash with police and security forces as they storm the barricades on their way to the US Capitol in Washington on January 6. Photo: AFP

Letters

Published: 6:55am, 9 Jan 2021Updated: 6:55am, 9 Jan 2021

I was dumbfounded to watch the fans of US President Donald Trump storm the Capitol building even as their Congress was certifying Joe Biden as the next president of the United States.

Some US lawmakers said Trump incited the chaos during a “Save America” rally. Curfew was imposed and, again, the National Guard was called in. Four people died and more than 50 were arrested on Thursday. Among those arrested were people charged with carrying guns and firearms.

President-elect Joe Biden called the events of the day an “insurrection” and the mob involved “domestic terrorists”, while Secretary for State Mike Pompeo referred to “the criminals who engaged in this rioting”.

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Trump supporters storm US Capitol, interrupting Congress’ certification of Biden’s victory

How do the rioters in the United States differ from those in Hong Kong? Both groups were fighting for their political ideals but engaged in illegal acts.

US politicians have long distinguished themselves by their double standards. When our local rioters were storming the Legislative Council, severely injuring people holding a different political view and damaging public facilities, US politicians would term them freedom fighters and defenders of democracy. US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi even likened the riots in Hong Kong to a beautiful sight to behold. However, when Americans are doing exactly the same things, they are instead branded as rioters and criminals.

Could something be learned from the events in the US by our innocent but hot-headed youth? What goes round comes around, as the saying goes!