China’s paramilitary stages anti-riot drill near Hong Kong border
- Exercises in Shenzhen feature armed officers subduing ‘protesters’
- Training takes place on the same day as the Chinese military’s rotation of its troops in Hong Kong
China’s paramilitary force staged a new anti-riot drill in Shenzhen on Thursday, with exercises mirroring the ongoing anti-government protests in Hong Kong, mainland Chinese media reported.
The drill, held in a sports stadium in Shenzhen, which borders Hong Kong, involved hundreds of armed officers clashing with people acting as protesters, according to Global Times, a nationalist tabloid published under the auspices of Communist Party mouthpiece People’s Daily.
A video with the report shows some “protesters” striking the armed officers with batons, and two water cannon deployed to spray them. Petrol bombs are thrown by “rioters” and extinguished by the armed officers.
Officers also hold up two red flags to warn protesters in footage of the drill, held at Shenzhen Bay Sports Centre. After the rioters retreat, police trucks surround them, ending the “riot”.
