Frequency Asia Podcast Podcast

Hong Kong: the standoff between protesters and the police

For the past four months, pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong have been calling for free elections and genuine independence vis-à-vis China. But the climate is getting tighter day by day, and the gap is widening between the citizens and the Hong Kong police. The police fired live bullets this week. Reportage.

From our special envoy to Hong Hong,

Insults, jokes, boos ... It has become a reflex in Hong Kong when a police patrol appears. Since the beginning of the movement, we have moved from trust to hatred and fear towards the police.

Testimony of a young girl

" I did not expect that at all. The police, I do not know what takes them. I'm too scared, I look even more in the eyes, they are much too aggressive. They should be there to protect us, not to scare us. "

This young woman is not an activist; it's a general feeling. Hong Kongers who demonstrate with family or friends all agree: the police have lost their minds. This man of sixty years comes to us in a procession. He takes out his retirement card: former police sergeant in Hong Kong. He went down the street because he no longer understands his colleagues.

The reaction of a former cop

" I came, because I can police brutality. I've been itching for days. In my day, the police were very sensitive to media treatment. We watched what was being said in the press about us and we tried to rectify if there were problems. There, today, it is clear that they do not care completely. They have long respected the code of good behavior. For example, when they stop people, why are they going to beat them up ? It does not make sense . "

The shock is all the more violent as the Hong Kong police had a very good reputation. For years, she has been touted as the best police in Asia. And it was deserved, according to Hong Kong researcher Elton Chan, professor of political science at the University of Singapore.

Elton Chan, Hong Kong researcher

" It's true, compared to other countries where the police are corrupt, abuse their functions, are much less effective ... They were really the best for a long time in law enforcement ... They are very good equipped, well trained, well supervised ... And then there was also a real human relationship between the police and the citizens of Hong Kong, because the government took care to build the image of the police. Even today, the police are doing TV commercials to say how awesome it is. They even have their weekly show. It's communication, it's been going on for 40 years. And for a very long time, it worked pretty well ! "

Forty years of public image destroyed in four months. Today, in every demonstration, the youth demands an independent commission of inquiry. But the degree of distrust is such that no one dares to say it face-down. This young man calls himself "Ong". The police were filmed molesting him during his arrest at a rally.

Ong's worries

" Of course it's freaking out. There is danger for everyone on a video where the cops do anything. Because they think we want to swing them. There's a Chinese saying that during a flight of birds, you always shoot at the one in front. I am afraid that they will take revenge, because today they are outside of all legal frameworks. "

The beatings, the arrests, the preventive detentions ... All that was already a lot for Hong Kong. But when, for the first time, the police fired on a real-life demonstrator this week, they all said it: it's over, we'll never forgive.