‘Disperse or We Fire’: Hong Kong’s Tear Gas-Filled Weekend
In a brave show of people power, thousands of pro-democracy protesters remain camped on the streets of Hong Kong tonight. They have gathered there to register their objections to Beijing’s attempts to stifle democratic rule on the territory, and over the weekend they endured a brutal effort by the police to clear the streets. Clouds of tear ...
In a brave show of people power, thousands of pro-democracy protesters remain camped on the streets of Hong Kong tonight. They have gathered there to register their objections to Beijing’s attempts to stifle democratic rule on the territory, and over the weekend they endured a brutal effort by the police to clear the streets.
In a brave show of people power, thousands of pro-democracy protesters remain camped on the streets of Hong Kong tonight. They have gathered there to register their objections to Beijing’s attempts to stifle democratic rule on the territory, and over the weekend they endured a brutal effort by the police to clear the streets.
Clouds of tear gas filled Hong Kong over the last 24 hours, and protesters have been hit with pepper spray at point-blank range. The unrest traces to Beijing’s decision earlier this summer to vet candidates for Hong Kong’s highest elected office, a move that reneged on China’s promise to allow democratic rule in the former British colony. Protesters have peacefully gathered on Hong Kong’s streets to demonstrate their anger over the decision; tensions have been brewing for several weeks, and exploded over the weekend. Many are brandishing umbrellas, and with demonstrators so far defying police attempts to end the protest, the movement has been branded the “umbrella revolution.”
Video of clashes between protesters and police are now streaming out of Hong Kong, and the footage is dramatic.
The CNN footage below captures some of the same footage seen in the AP report, but at a closer angle. Notice the police banners: “DISPERSE OR WE FIRE.”
The footage below, which appears to be from an earlier incident, captures how unpleasant and indeed frightening it is to be subjected to tear gas. This first-person video captures the panic that sets in when the tear gas rolls over a tightly packed crowd. Notice also the intense physical effects caused by the gas, particularly the coughing.
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