EU and Britain urge restraint and de-escalation after Hong Kong police officer shoots protester during National Day clashes
- ‘Use of live ammunition is disproportionate, and only risks inflaming the situation,’ British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab says.
- Teenaged protester was hit in the chest by a live round in Tsuen Wan as Beijing celebrated 70th anniversary of founding of the People’s Republic of China.
The European Union and Britain urged restraint from authorities in Hong Kong on Tuesday after a police officer shot a protester in the city with a live round.
“Whilst there is no excuse for violence, the use of live ammunition is disproportionate, and only risks inflaming the situation,” Britain’s Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said in a statement.
Police said the shooting occurred at around 4pm local time (4am US Eastern time) in Tsuen Wan, amid demonstrations held to coincide with celebrations in Beijing marking the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.
Video footage of the incident showed the protester, an 18-year-old man, attempting to strike the police officer with a stick, before being shot in the chest and collapsing to the ground. He underwent lung surgery and was in a non-life threatening condition, according to a source.
A Hong Kong police force spokeswoman said in a video posted to the force’s Facebook page that the officer had feared for his safety and had acted to “save his own life and his colleagues’ lives”.