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Protester shot in chest by live police round during Hong Kong protests

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Re: Protester shot in chest by live police round during Hong Kong protests

#11

Obviously China is evil etc etc. But isn't it pretty obvious these people are physically attacking armed officers as they are retreating? And they are beating up and kicking another downed officer in the head? Whilst I might have sympathy for their cause the kid struck an armed officer with a weapon whilst he wielded a gun as his friends beat another armed officer. I have very little sympathy for anyone who makes suc…

i think i saw yesterday though that the Government there is infiltrating the protest groups with agent provocateurs so i dont know what to believe anymore

Entirely irrelevant as there is a video of the kid hitting a police officer with his gun drawn. This is entirely self inflicted.

There is no strategic advantage to physically attacking a police officer in this context. It didn't further a cause in any conflict. If you go and hit someone with a gun pointed at you it is undeniable that the person acted in self defence.

I hate to be defending these things, but the hypocrisy and hyperbole are unhelpful in understanding the truth

Re: Protester shot in chest by live police round during Hong Kong protests

#12
post #3

People don't think this sort of thing can happen in the US. Just look at what the federal, state and local government does to people it doesn't like now.

1. Everyone that's read the news in the last few years knows this young people can be shot by police in the US. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_of_Tamir_Rice 2. This link is about what's happening in Hong Kong, not the US, and this sort of what-about-ism isn't informative or helpful.

It also doesn't make sense. The shooting of Tamir Rice may have been an accident, or racism, or the pernicious combination that occurs when systemic racism results in more "accidents" against people of color. None of those things are in play in Hong Kong.

Re: Protester shot in chest by live police round during Hong Kong protests

#13
Sure, the kid was swinging at the officer, and I suppose that warrants the officer acting in self-defense. But another question is, what are the protesters supposed to do? The government has all the power, and can simply snuff out any resistence. If you just stand in the streets, they really don't care, they are going to take your freedom. Imagine if the US suddenly had a dictator that just decided they were going to take all property rights and freedoms like that -- I think taking to the streets, and even resorting to violence might be necessary (otherwise the powers-that-be have no reason to listen to a bunch of people standing in a street hundreds of miles away).

Re: Protester shot in chest by live police round during Hong Kong protests

#14

Obviously China is evil etc etc. But isn't it pretty obvious these people are physically attacking armed officers as they are retreating? And they are beating up and kicking another downed officer in the head? Whilst I might have sympathy for their cause the kid struck an armed officer with a weapon whilst he wielded a gun as his friends beat another armed officer. I have very little sympathy for anyone who makes suc…

i think i saw yesterday though that the Government there is infiltrating the protest groups with agent provocateurs so i dont know what to believe anymore

That's the point.

Re: Protester shot in chest by live police round during Hong Kong protests

#15
post #3

People don't think this sort of thing can happen in the US. Just look at what the federal, state and local government does to people it doesn't like now.

As a UK citizen, I'd be pretty worried about this kind of thing happening in the US. The US police seem incredibly violent and often unprovoked.

Re: Protester shot in chest by live police round during Hong Kong protests

#17
post #6

Not to defend what the police have been doing overall during this protest, but in this specific incident you can see the protestors beating a police officer on the ground, and the protestor who got shot was swinging a metal pipe at the police officer that shot him.

Context is everything.

Re: Protester shot in chest by live police round during Hong Kong protests

#19
post #3

People don't think this sort of thing can happen in the US. Just look at what the federal, state and local government does to people it doesn't like now.

As a UK citizen, I'd be pretty worried about this kind of thing happening in the US. The US police seem incredibly violent and often unprovoked.

> As a UK citizen, I'd be pretty worried about this kind of thing happening in the US.

A police officer shooting somebody that is physically attacking them with a metal club in a violent riot that involves firebombs being thrown at police officers? I would neither be surprised nor worried if that happened in the US.

Now, if they just opened fire at unarmed, peaceful protestors, I'd be worried (though not surprised that much).

Re: Protester shot in chest by live police round during Hong Kong protests

#20
post #3

People don't think this sort of thing can happen in the US. Just look at what the federal, state and local government does to people it doesn't like now.

1. Everyone that's read the news in the last few years knows this young people can be shot by police in the US. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_of_Tamir_Rice 2. This link is about what's happening in Hong Kong, not the US, and this sort of what-about-ism isn't informative or helpful.

I think it is helpful because it’s asking for consistency.

People are (rightfully) outraged when a protestor dies in Hong Kong, but protestors also die in the US.

For example, the Kent State shootings: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kent_State_shootings

The point is that if you’re demanding a certain standard from China or other countries, you should demand that in the US as well.

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