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    Protester shot in chest by live police round during Hong Kong protests

    (www.reddit.com)
    628 points nodea2345 | 11 comments | 01 Oct 19 11:19 UTC | HN request time: 0.004s | source | bottom
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    program_whiz ◴[01 Oct 19 13:26 UTC] No.21125050[source]▶
    Sure, the kid was swinging at the officer, and I suppose that warrants the officer acting in self-defense. But another question is, what are the protesters supposed to do? The government has all the power, and can simply snuff out any resistence. If you just stand in the streets, they really don't care, they are going to take your freedom. Imagine if the US suddenly had a dictator that just decided they were going to take all property rights and freedoms like that -- I think taking to the streets, and even resorting to violence might be necessary (otherwise the powers-that-be have no reason to listen to a bunch of people standing in a street hundreds of miles away).
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    1. schuke ◴[01 Oct 19 13:35 UTC] No.21125130[source]▶
    I’m from the mainland and totally with HK’s cause. But I do think the violence is at least unnecessary if not detrimental to the movement. If tanks roll in, there’s no point using violence as they’ll be crushed. If they don’t, it seems to me there’s enough space for peaceful protests, which can be even more effectual in many ways. And the people of Hong Kong have shown an incredible amount of creativity in non-violent protests. The kid is so young he shouldn’t be involved in such violence. I hope he will make a full recovery.
    replies(4): >>21125177 #>>21125264 #>>21125939 #>>21129558 #
    2. JumpCrisscross ◴[01 Oct 19 13:39 UTC] No.21125177[source]▶
    > the violence is at least unnecessary if not detrimental to the movement

    Judgement is complicated by documented evidence of undercover Hong Kong police dressing up as protesters and acting like belligerent idiots [1].

    [1] https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/22/world/hong-kong-police-pr...

    replies(4): >>21129319 #>>21130858 #>>21131564 #>>21139943 #
    3. baylearn ◴[01 Oct 19 13:49 UTC] No.21125264[source]▶
    I agree with you. I think the (relatively) success of the movement so far is due to the sheer creative energy of the protester population.

    That said I am fine with measured civil disobedience and symbolic destruction of government / quasi-government / tax-payer funded infrastructure when appropriate.

    4. hanniabu ◴[01 Oct 19 14:53 UTC] No.21125939[source]▶
    > If tanks roll in, there’s no point using violence as they’ll be crushed

    There are many impromptu homemade devices that can be used to deter tanks

    replies(1): >>21126680 #
    5. Illniyar ◴[01 Oct 19 15:45 UTC] No.21126680[source]▶
    Against modern tanks, there really aren't. Even military grade explosive mines don't stop a modern tank (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Counter-IED_equipment#Mine_Res...) - not to mention things that go in the frontline in urban areas like armored bulldozers (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armored_bulldozer)
    replies(1): >>21134497 #
    6. koheripbal ◴[01 Oct 19 19:04 UTC] No.21129319[source]▶
    Sure, but not in this particular case. The protestor that was shot was caught on the same video chasing down a police officer and beating him before getting shot.

    https://twitter.com/bbcchinese/status/1179082367337713666

    7. jdsully ◴[01 Oct 19 19:28 UTC] No.21129558[source]▶
    Tanks are quite vulnerable in urban combat. As the Russians learned at the start of the battle of Grozny: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Grozny_(1994–95)
    8. marvin ◴[01 Oct 19 21:24 UTC] No.21130858[source]▶
    This always happens. It's the most effective way to create the illusion of legitimacy for using violence to kill peaceful protest. The French police have been doing it for ages.
    9. ummonk ◴[01 Oct 19 22:32 UTC] No.21131564[source]▶
    Yes, but in this case the kid was engaging directly in violence so unless he himself was an agent provocateur, this particular shooting can’t be blamed on undercover cops.
    10. read_if_gay_ ◴[02 Oct 19 08:53 UTC] No.21134497{3}[source]▶
    What about the IEDs used in the middle east? How hard is it to put one of those together?
    11. kaonashi ◴[02 Oct 19 19:29 UTC] No.21139943[source]▶
    Not to mention that the protests were initially peaceful, then they were repeatedly attacked by gangs at the behest of the local authorities.