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On Wednesday, August 7, thousands of Chinese policemen took part in a riot drill in Shenzhen, on the outskirts of Hong Kong, an operation perceived as a new warning from Beijing to pro-democracy protesters who have been defying the communist regime for two months. the former British colony.
The images show helmeted policemen struggling with fake "protesters" equipped with hard hats and breathing masks quite similar to those worn by Hong Kong crowds. While the "protesters" attack the police with long sticks, the latter repel them with their shields, while firing tear gas.
A widely commented exercise
The exercise, which took place Tuesday in Shenzhen, the mainland metropolis of China's border with the autonomous territory of Hong Kong, was widely discussed on Wednesday, August 7, on social networks, a video of the event showing similarities with the protests. in Hong Kong. " All Shenzhen police forces are always ready! "Proclaims the local police in a comment posted on social networks.
The text states that 12,000 police officers participated in the exercise. He added that it aims to ensure the security of Shenzhen in the run up to the celebrations that mark October 1, the 70th anniversary of the founding of the communist regime. This is the second video in less than a week showing Chinese police suppressing a demonstration, fueling fears of direct intervention from Beijing to stir up the protest in Hong Kong.
The army broadcasts a 1997 video
Last week, the army broadcast a video showing its soldiers busy suppressing a riot in the metropolis returned to China in 1997. The Chinese army, which has a garrison of several thousand men in Hong Kong, is not supposed to meddle in the affairs of the territory. But the garrison commander recalled last week that the law allowed him to intervene to restore order, at the request of local authorities.
Such an intervention would revive the specter of repression of the "Beijing Spring" demonstrations, which left hundreds or even more than a thousand dead in 1989 in the Chinese capital. It could also cause a financial catastrophe in one of the largest Asian markets.
( with AFP )