In Beijing's own condemnation of 'moderate rebels' moment, the Chinese foreign ministry on Tuesday slammed the United States and Britain for rank hypocrisy for their failure to condemn the serious escalation in protest violence this week, after a pro-mainland man was set on fire and after a police officer shot a protester in separate incidents. And overnight Tuesday students at the city's main public university were filmed attacking police with bows and arrows.
Describing prior events on Monday as deeply disturbing – foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said “their lip service to justice has shown their double standards and ill intentions”.
This after the State Department merely expressed "grave concern" and condemned the violence on "all sides" on a day in which a gruesome viral video showed a pro-mainland man being doused in combustible liquid, then set on fire as he argued with demonstrators over their attempting to shut down a nearby train station.
After one of the most horrifying scenes of violence by a mob of Hong Kong pro-independence protesters to have played out after months of unrest, Beijing is outraged that the US and Britain again managed to turn the spotlight back on China.
Up in the mainland, videos like this from #HongKong are spreading quickly online. It’s like a parallel world to the police violence clips. Not a lot of context or background on this clip (which was already edited on a pro-Beijing wechat channel) - but really nasty stuff pic.twitter.com/ctKgoMqBXb— Bill Birtles (@billbirtles) November 12, 2019
State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said, “We urge Beijing to honor the commitments it made in the Sino-British Joint Declaration,” which includes protecting “the freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly – core values that we share with Hong Kong,” according to the official statement.
This week has witnessed large sectors of the city gridlocked and essentially shut down due demonstrators attacking public transportation and blocking roads.
Many observers have noticed violence and clashes with police have gotten so fierce, that Hong Kong riots appear to have entered an "end game" of sorts, given Monday marked one of the most violent episodes to take place in weeks, amid continued disruptions of the morning commute as HK's MTR public transit shut down several stations.
War zone battle in Chinese University of Hong Kong now. pic.twitter.com/29oT7wutzt— EYEPRESS NEWS AGENCY (@eyepressnews) November 12, 2019
And through Tuesday evening severe clashes with police raged in and around the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) campus, which involved students raiding sports facilities to obtain weapons such as javelins and bows & arrows, reportedly being used against police.
According to London's The Times:
Students armed with javelins and bows and arrows fought police at the Chinese University of Hong Kong today amid official warnings that the territory was “on the brink of total breakdown”.The scenes, mirrored at other campuses in the city, marked a drastic escalation in the protests, which began in June. Yesterday police shot a protester at close range and a man was doused with petrol and set on fire by demonstrators.Upset that police had encroached on their campuses yesterday, university students set up barricades early today.
And elsewhere anti-Beijing social media accounts also circulated images of students raiding a campus warehouse and staging bows, arrows, and javelins to use against invading security forces.
Earlier on Tuesday HK police warned a total collapse looks imminent as pitched battles between rioters and police continue across the city.
Sky News ran footage Tuesday night of student protesters firing arrows at police front lines:
"Over the past two days, our society has been pushed to the brink of a total breakdown as rioters went on a rampage," Kong Wing-cheung, a senior police superintendent, said in a press conference.
— 😷Hong Kong World City 🖐🏻☔️ (@HKWORLDCITY) November 12, 2019
The same day Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam condemned the anti-Beijing protesters as the "enemy of the people".
Indeed as newly published aerial footage showing the chaotic situation at CUHK campus confirms, parts of the city are becoming a war zone, as protesters and police increasingly lack restraint and are now deploying deadly weapons.
Things are about to get even uglier at the Chinese University HK campus, and we don't have to wonder for a moment what police in America would do if bows and arrows were launched at them. It appears the gloves are fast coming off.
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