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Letters | US Capitol rioters, UK thugs, but Hong Kong democracy fighters: double standards much?
- The same democratic West that cheered and supported those who broke into the Legislative Council building decry mayhem and violence when it happens to them
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Commenting on violent scenes at the protests over a controversial crime bill in the UK, British Home Secretary Priti Patel tweeted that the scenes were “unacceptable” and “thuggery and disorder by a minority will never be tolerated”.
The chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, John Apter, questioned the motives. “This is not about protesting about protecting the right to protest, it’s violent criminality from a hardcore minority who will hijack any situation for their own aims.”
Member of Parliament Darren Jones said, “You don’t campaign for the right to peaceful protest by setting police vans on fire or graffitiing buildings.”
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All of these things happened in Hong Kong repeatedly during the protests over the extradition bill. Meanwhile, the democratic West cheered and supported these thugs who used peaceful protests as cover to gather, before descending into mayhem. They wreaked havoc on our city, terrorising anyone who dared to voice a different opinion, beating people up and even setting one on fire.
Shops, restaurants and the MTR, which were deemed not to show them support, were vandalised; whereas any law or refusal of protest permit by the government and police were deemed by the West as suppressing democracy and freedom of speech.
They charged and wrecked the Legislative Council, the governing seat of Hong Kong, just like those who charged Capitol Hill in the United States. But the ones in Hong Kong were called democracy fighters, even heroes, while the ones in the US were called thugs.
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