My Take | For all our sakes, do not cross that line
- Violence is escalating between protesters and police, and face-offs have to stop before someone is killed
This is Hong Kong’s version of the chicken-or-egg question. Protesters say they are provoked into fighting back when police go after them. Police, not unreasonably, counter that they do not respond if the protests are peaceful.
What we do know is that young protesters, with their cop-hating subculture, and the police, who are increasingly frustrated and angry, make up a toxic, explosive combination. Must we see someone die before we pull back?
Cornered by dozens of violent protesters armed with long poles and metal bars, several officers pulled their revolvers and one of them fired a warning shot into the air. What goes up must come down. A falling bullet could be just as deadly in a crowd.
Thankfully, no one was hit. The officers showed extraordinary restraint and professionalism even though they were all injured to varying degrees. But the whole incident could have had a much worse outcome. Both sides are tempting fate if we allow them to keep repeating such violent face-offs.