Street art in Hong Kong

We really are a police state.

It’s worse than that. That wasn’t a rubber bullet, that was another tear gas canister–you can see it a few seconds later in the footage when the camera pans over to the advancing cops.

And they shot him in the crotch with it.

If I were feeling charitable I’d say that the cop who fired the shell was aiming for center of mass and miscalculated the distance and hit the guy low.

But I’m not feeling charitable. It’s clear that was a deliberate malicious attack designed to hurt the guy as badly as possible with the weapon at hand. The goal was to cause him pain and intimidate bystanders.

this really is dystopic, isn’t it?

Shout out to the dude who came and helped him up

THIS IS WHY YOU BLACK BLOC. WHEN EVERYONE IS MASKED AND IN ALL BLOC, IT MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT FOR THE POLICE TO TARGET INDIVIDUALS LIKE THIS

MASK UP, COME IN BLOC, BE PREPARED, YOU. COULD SAVE SOMEONES LIFE

Also get to know your street medics and maybe buy them a drink later. They’ll often be the ones picking you up and making sure you’re good after this shit happens

 Transcript in case the writing is too hard to read:

How to do it: (here’s the link to the source of the image) Black bloc tactics allow demonstrators to take action without fear of immediate identification. if you choose to wear a mask, do it right:

*Cover up: it’s not enough to cover half your face. even if you get away, the police may use photos or videos to charge you later. cover your hair, face, arms and hands. Cloth gloves are best. Take out piercings. Make sure there are no identifying features on your clothes, shoes or backpack. If you bring any materials with you, wipe them down with rubbing alcohol first to get the prints off. Don’t bring anything you don’t need.

*Stay tight: if possible, come to the demonstration with a small group of people you trust. Choose your crew based on shared intentions, not just friendship. You are there to have each other’s back in the street and follow up if one of you gets arrested or hurt. Strangers need to protect eachother too. Stay physically close, not spread out, so that if police try to enter the crowd, you can “accidentally” get in their way. The front of the march might need to slow down while the back catches up. Stay moving through a tight, mobile crowd is difficult to surround or disperse.

*Plan your exit: always wear “civilian clothes” under your hoodie so that you can de-bloc and blend in with a crowd or smoothly walk away. Keep an eye out for danger zones and escape routes. If things heat up, stay calm and act decisively. Commit to your exit when you decide you’re done. Sometimes you have to sprint and hide; sometimes, you just step onto the sidewalk and remove your mask. You can de-bloc in the middle of a friendly crowd if you’re sure you are well screened.

*Keep it quiet: bragging and storytelling are natural, but they’re easy to use against us. If you have to talk, choose someone trustworthy who was with you in the streets. Don’t post anything on Facebook that you wouldn’t show a cop. The same goes for Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr e.t.c. remember the police will read your texts and call-log if they arrest you.

*Never, Ever Snitch: if you are arrested, invoke your right to remain silent. Name, address, and no more.

(this next one is essentially the same as the first one with minor differences + a tutorial)

For the next time… Staying safer in the streets Why wear a mask? It allows us to take action without fear of immediate identification. it’s not enough to cover half our face. Even if we get away, the police may use photos or video to charge us later. It’s best to cover our hair, face, arms, tattoos and hands. Cloth gloves are best because they don’t transfer print, unlike plastic gloves. Make sure there are no identifying features on your clothes, shoes, or backpack; it’s nice to have a change of clothing. If we bring any material with us, let’s wipe them down with rubbing alcohol to remove fingerprints. Bragging and storytelling are natural, but they’re easy to use against us. Don’t post anything on Facebook that we wouldn’t show a cop. The same goes for Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr. Rember that the police will read our texts and call-log if they arrest us. If you are arrested, invoke your right to remain absolutely silent; name, address, birthdate and no more. 

How to make a mask from a shirt: 

Step 1: Put the shirt over your head inside-out, with the tag sticking down, hold the sleeves out to the side.

Step 2: Take the sleeves and tie them in a knot behind your head. 

Step 3: Fold the top part of the collar up and under, close to your brows.

Step 4: Pull the bottom collar over nose and folding the tag inside the shirt

This is in the USA but applies to us just the same. And of course, in HK, if you are arrested, don’t forget to announce your name and personal information, and to swear that you wouldn’t commit suicide.

PSA: All peeps in HK, pls stay safe.

HONG KONG UPDATE 22 JAN 2020

Hong Kong Summer

tomokikimura

Hong Kong police stormed + fired bullets & tear gas at multiple universities all morning

HONG KONG UPDATE 11 NOV 2019

It's now past noon.

Students swiftly fortified their universities and barricaded themselves inside. CUHK, HKU, PolyU among some under attack. Might have missed news in others, but can guarantee at least 3 universities. Quite amazed to see some barricades rivalling the police's screen that they use to shoot behind from.

Police unnecessarily fired copious amounts of tear gas and all types of bullets. When the video zoomed out, it was shown that the students weren't even near - the entire defense line was like aaaaall the way on the other side, so far off that the students were miniatures. They weren't even a threat nor attacking, only returning projectiles when police attacked too aggressively.

Police fired and then left. Having to leave doesn't warrant such firing, especially of chemical weaponry. You don't even do that in war.

But what am I saying? China never follows the international standard. China's standards has "Chinese characteristics".

11/11/2019 - Real Time Update (~8:00-8:30am)

Sources: ViuTVu (channel 99), MTR app, my parents

10:30am Update

From my mother's colleague:

Translation:

Also, roads everywhere are blocked, and it took about two hours just go from getting to Fo Tan to leaving Shatin station via bus. Note that these two stations are adjacent to each other on the East Rail Line. Men in Black have also reportedly showed up in the Shatin Bus Terminal, though whether they are Yellow or Blue sleeper agents is unknown.

Update (11am) - They're also suspending service at Shatin Station, and have done so for the past half hour. Service between Yau Tong Station and Po Lam and LOHAS Park Stations have also been suspended for an hour.

12:00nn Update

CUHK: Tear gas reportedly set off at the Chung Chi College entrance(a couple of slopes away from University Station). Men in Black (actually uni students) present, warned passing young residents (unable to navigate the campus due to blocked roads) not to go in the direction of the smoke. It alarms me that children who just want to get home could have been exposed to tear smoke just for being at the wrong place at the wrong time (no, this time simply hits a little too close to home for me, I'm alright).

Tseung Kwan O Line, MTR:

Secondary Schools in HK: Some are reportedly showing solidarity by folding paper cranes on campus. (I do not have much intel on this, since I do not have contact with many schoolkids outside of my own school.)

1:00pm Update

CUHK: A person in white was struggling against a police officer, who then proceeds to shoot the person beside the one "resisting arrest". (No, I am not kidding.) The victim's kidney and liver have been damaged by the bullet, and many believe that they will not make it.

~2:45pm Update

CUHK: Tear gas deployed at main entrance. Small tent camp set up.

Central: Gathering of Men in Black occurring as I type.

Tseung Kwan O: Continuous blocking of roads, including barricades of bicycles. Raptors have shown up around 11am.

Wong Tai Sin: More road barricading, never-ceasing, with bricks, official blocking, etc.

Hung Hom: Blockade fencing, trash cans, etc. used for blocking the Cross-Harbour Tunnel towards the Island at 7am. Men in Black retreat to PolyU. Orange flag raised, tear gas fired.

-lmao my main source of info rn is CCTVB bc I'm too busy with schoolwork to access my other sources or they are simply unavailable-

You've seen Hongkonger protesting in full gear. Now meet Hongkonger protesting in full suit in Central, the city's central business district.

This is an all-age, all-class movement. We stand in solidarity.

We can't even fight a war without adding SOPHISTICATION AND STYLE to the battlefield. Good work, Hong Kong.

11/11/2019 - Real Time Update (~8:00-8:30am)

Sources: ViuTVu (channel 99), MTR app, my parents

10:30am Update

From my mother's colleague:

Translation:

Also, roads everywhere are blocked, and it took about two hours just go from getting to Fo Tan to leaving Shatin station via bus. Note that these two stations are adjacent to each other on the East Rail Line. Men in Black have also reportedly showed up in the Shatin Bus Terminal, though whether they are Yellow or Blue sleeper agents is unknown.

Update (11am) - They're also suspending service at Shatin Station, and have done so for the past half hour. Service between Yau Tong Station and Po Lam and LOHAS Park Stations have also been suspended for an hour.

HONG KONG UPDATE 4 NOV 2019

HKUST student Chow Tsz-Lok falls from height; critically injured

TRIGGER WARNING: Bl*ood

UPDATE: HE WAS DECLARED DEAD AROUND NOON, 8TH NOV 2019 (FRIDAY, aka yesterday). Then people began mourning, and things got messy… (TBC)

For anyone wondering, I stumbled across a bunch of kids at my school making a quick memorial for the student near the end of lunch hour yesterday. I hadn't know what had happened, but I left a three-finger salute for him. RIP.

HONG KONG UPDATE 11 OCT 2019

Body of 15yo found naked in sea

Chrissy, 15yo. Floating c*rpse found naked in sea. She was on the secondary school swimming team, and was an accomplished swimmer.

19 Sep 2019: Missing when returning home from protest, last heard from while on the way home. Left Mei Foo at 1415. 10 min later, she texted her friend that she was on the way home.

3 days before she went missing, Chrissy had told her friend that she wanted to start a new life. Her friend said that she was ready to change her number and delete her old social media accounts. Chrissy even signed up for vocational training courses and she had just started school a few days ago, when her new phase of life came to an abrupt end.

20 Sep 2019: Chrissy absent from school (VTC). VTC contacts her parents. Her friend finds her student ID, HKID and phone at VTC.

21 Sep 2019: Chrissy's family reports her as missing to the police.

22 Sep 2019: 3 days later after last sighting, her body is found - a naked floating c*rpse found in sea at Devil's Peak, Yau Tong. Yau Tong is very far from Mei Foo. Search Mei Foo to Yau Tong on Google Maps or look at how far apart the stations are in the MTR map. Police say sure it's a 15yo girl that also has the same surname but did not confirm if it was Chrissy.

Water police retrieve the body, info from the scene said that the body was arnd 1.5m, long gold hair, estimated 25-30yo. No notes/last words found.

Note that at that pt, case was not yet disclosed to public.

24-25 Sep 2019: The earliest instance of search poster for Chrissy is put up at late night on Telegram and LIHKG.

Poster: 15yo, 1.53m, last seen when parting ways with friend at Mei Foo 19 Sep 2019, 2.15pm.

26 Sep 2019: Chrissy's family and friends put up posters.

27 Sep 2019: Police inform Chrissy's family that her body has been found. Chrissy's family retract all posters.

3 Oct 2019: A LIHKG account saus that Chrissy has died and become a floating c*rpse.

5 Oct 2019: Police confirm to Apple Daily that the body belonged to a 15yo. Police say they received a missing persons report from the girl's family in mid-Sep. The case is listed as "body discovery" and transferred to Eastern Area Serious Crimes Unit.

Apple Daily does a written follow up asking if the deceased committed su*c*de, if the case was suspicious and if any suspect had been arrested. The newspaper also asks for confirmation on whether it was Chrissy, if Chrissy was arrested for participating in protests, if Chrissy was brought to police stations for interrogation or to assist in investigations, etc.

Police Public Relations Branch verbally replies to all questions that there was nothing to add.

Apple Daily requests for a written reply and also presses about the progress of Chrissy's missing persons case.

6 Oct 2019: Police only gives written reply the next day and only generally and vaguely says, "Related case is still under investigation. Cause of death awaiting forensics and further investigation before confirmation". Police does not confirm if body belonged to Chrissy. Police did not confirm if Chrissy was dead.

9 Oct 2019: Police once again verbally confirms thar the body belonged to the missing girl with a surname that matched Chrissy's.

10 Oct 2019: Police cremate Chrissy's body while cause of death still unclear. Police bypasses court inquiry and ruling to swiftly burn the body. Apple Daily first reports on Chrissy's death, and the fact that her body has gone through the funeral procession and cremation.

Apple Daily says that multiple channels of info confirmed that police retrieved the body and confirmed her death within a week. Search through police media records show that only 1 case of floating c*prse from 19 Sep to 26 Sep 2019 publicised.

Many close acquaintances of Chrissy confirm with Apple Daily that the floating c*rpse found by the police was Chrissy, but as she was on the secondary school swimming team, and was an avid protester, they suspect foul play. All are surprised by her death. Chrissy was also once a diver who could jump from 5m height into 5m deep water and make it to shore. In 2016/2017, she won a distinction award for a swimming relay.

Vocational Training Centre (VTC) confirms that Chrissy was their student and confirms her passing.

Previous events and other suspicious cases, coupled with at least 5 suspicious floating c*rpse cases in just 32 days have led to rumours of "Police killing citizens" running rife.

11 Oct 2019:

NOTE: The CCTV footage is not released to public. This is what police SAY.

BUT

Presscon fuelled further fear.

https://tw.appledaily.com/headline/daily/20191012/38468196/

HONG KONG UPDATE 10-11 OCT 2019

Due to traumatic content, pls avoid if uncomfortable.

There is no Read More function on mobile posting.

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Note: * to pass Tumblr censors and maximise reach of this post

Chinese University of Hong Kong student Sonia Ng spoke against torture and s*xual assault against citizens during police detention.

Allegations of r*pe have been running for very long with various implied accounts, and the closest I saw were about 2-3 secondhand accounts where the kids sunk into depression after that (in HK situation, this is pretty close) but this is the first time someone has so bravely stepped up to reveal in public.

On 11 Oct 2019 morning, she clarified on a radio show that she was s*xually assaulted at Kwai Chung Police Stn and not San Uk Ling detention centre as misreported (Chinese grammar vagueness issue). She mentions that she is aware of other reports of s*xual assault at San Uk Ling.

On 10 Oct 2019, Sonia gave the speech as CUHK's vice-chancellor Rocky Tuan was meeting students at a public forum on campus. Throughout the meeting, Tuan made no supportive response and condemned "all violence". The sort of victim-blaming mentality is appalling, because it's blaming a victim for fighting back against a r*pist/robber/thief/m*rderer. When the university heads got up to leave, several students who were still recovering from torture during detention blocked their path and plopped to ground, crying and begging for the heads speak up and showing their injuries. Tuan remained unmoved and did not take any action even as the two university vice-presidents made a move to embrace them. Students blocked Tuan's car and after a while, Tuan stayed and spoke with them for an hour in a closed-door session without media. Tuan then told students and reporters he was touched by the conversation and promised the university would issue a condemnation statement against police violence and set up a committee to listen to student concerns.

After Sonia's speech, the boy who had spoken about torture and s*xual assault at the 27 Sep 2019 anti-San Uk Ling rally spoke up on Twitter. He is a Secondary 5 student at an elite boys school in Kowloon area. He was s*d*mised and gang-r*ped. The boy intends to talk more at one of the upcoming Citizens' Press meetings and testify against one of the white-shirts who s*d*mised him.

I…I think I'm going to be sick. I do not condone gang****, especially after I read an aftermath fanfic of one such… incident (Hetalians - it's the FCGB, be warned).

Excuse me? They did that to a minor? That's it, I think I'm leaving the city where I was born and razed once I'm done with secondary school, uni if I make it that far.

To those disgusting excuses for human beings that think doing that to a kid is a good idea…:

Anyway, we need to yeet the perpetrators to the Andromeda galaxy. Anyone?

Any sort of r*pe should not and never be condoned.

There are many more cases. I have seen two ppl on twitter who each said that their friend's daughter got r*ped at San Uk Ling. One of them said the girl got depressed and just screwed up emotionally and the family at that pt of speaking was planning to send her overseas away from this awful place.

HONG KONG UPDATE 10 OCT 2019

Google & Apple take down apps

This is a patch-up update.

Pic 1-5: Google takes down

Pic 6: Apple takes down Quartz from Chinese store; Quartz site now banned in China.

Pic 7-10: Apple takes down HK map app used to help citizens avoid police brutality.

HONG KONG UPDATE 8 OCT 2019

MTR exposed for lying about facilities being damaged

This is a patch-up update.

1. MTR exposed. Facilities perfectly functioning yet stuck Out of Order notice and claimed need to shut station.

Also see the shutting of Po Lam MTR in another 8 Oct 2019 update post.

2. Tsuen Wan high school, fight between two sides.

3. 26 charged with riot, iirc all got bail except the hospitalised one who wasn't present.

4. Journos wear masks at police presscon in protest.

HONG KONG UPDATE 7-8 OCT 2019

This is a patch-up update.

1. (Pic 1-4) Secondary school + University student protest

2. (Pic 5-6) CUHK student harrassed by police

3. (Pic 7) Tai Koo. Last night. Citizens mockingly bowed to HK police like how HKers had to do so to the Japanese imperial army during Japanese Occupation.

4. (Pic 8-10) MTR shuts stations but evidence found that they are lying about damaged train stations. MTR is deliberately shutting stations to inconvenience citizens. Many suspect tactic by HK gov to turn winds of public opinion against protestd.

I knew part 4 is the case since they began to shut down stops. Ugh. Best railway system in the world, reduced to some CCP lackey. At least there are some good-hearted people working for them, evident by the staff member that was severely tortured in that previous post.

And yes, lives of students in a warzone indeed. I see people in masks every school day, all week, since the Mask Law became a thing. In fact, more people seemed to wear masks after the Law became a thing than the day before.

HONG KONG UPDATE 5 OCT 2019: 1400-1700

1. Suspected off-duty police officer (police baton found in his car) tried to murder black-clad citizen by driving car into him

[VIDEO] Trigger warning. You can see the guy getting hit arnd 0:10.

.

2. Carrie Lam gives yet another useless speech defending emergency law and anti-mask law.

Citizens march defiantly in Causeway Bay against Anti-Mask Law.

#六大訴求缺一不可

HONG KONG UPDATE 5 OCT 2019: 1630-1930

Police charged at a couple with masks who were just walking slowly together and pounced forcefully with great speed on the man, who fell backwards directly on ground. Not sure if he hit his head. Very dangerous attack.

They were not engaging in any assembly nor "offensive" activity, heck, only 2 persons, they don't even fulfill the minimum 3 person requirement.

Police searched their bags, made them remove masks and beat them with batons. The lady cried. After the police left, people comforted them.

Arrested man with bandana on forehead. His face was not covered. He was not using a mask. Reporter asked why police arrested him, police said they don't know why they are arresting him. Heck?????

Absolutely disgusting. Shame for bringing back the Southern Sung Chinese claim of 莫須有, lit. "perhaps there is (a reason for arrest)". Then again, they've been doing this for months.