Opinion | Allowing the unrest to hurt Hong Kong’s image as a safe city will hurt all of us

It has been nearly four months since the Hong Kong government introduced in the Legislative Council a bill to amend the fugitive offenders and mutual legal assistance laws. There was considerable debate about the extradition bill, as it was commonly known, over the following two months – including some strong opposition. Then, in early to mid-June, several major street demonstrations took place.

The government shelved the bill – later making it clear that it was dead. Top officials also accepted that they had been out of touch with public opinion, and declared that they would listen to a broader range of views in future.

The last two months have brought a series of shocking events. We have had blockades of police headquarters and government offices, the break-in and vandalism of the Legislative Council building, and battles in a Sha Tin shopping mall and elsewhere.

Over the last few weeks, the situation seems to have become worse. Demonstrators attacked the central government’s liaison office in Sai Ying Pun, defacing the national emblem above the entranceway, while thugs attacked bystanders in Yuen Long MTR station – both of which were totally unacceptable. Last weekend’s demonstrations in Yuen Long and Sheung Wan were unauthorised but proceeded anyway, leading to yet more violence.

This series of escalating events looks like a spiral in which clashes between protesters and police will only become more severe. There is increasingly a sense that Hong Kong is in crisis. This feeling is pervading the community, especially among residents of areas affected by the unrest. Civil servants and especially the police feel demoralised and are under great pressure.