21st November 2019 – (Hong Kong) Rioters took violence to a whole new level in recent weeks by burning streets, destroying more traffic lights, puncturing buses, setting fire to trains, minibuses and cars. Embedded sharp metal rods were found on streets, objects hurled onto railway tracks and tram tracks with malicious intent to derail trains and trams.

Large quantities of petrol bombs found on the campus of Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

Large quantities of petrol bombs were found in various locations at Mong Kok, Yau Ma Tei and TST on 19th November, a day of the savage clash between police and rioters. Chinese University of Hong Kong and Hong Kong Polytechnic University have both become the ‘factory’ for manufacturing petrol bombs for frontline rioters. Rioters turned swimming pool at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University into training ground for petrol bomb hurling practice.

Rioters turned swimming pool at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University into training ground for petrol bomb hurling practice.

How did a peaceful anti-extradition movement started in June with 2 million protesters evolved into a vicious and inhuman attack targeting civilians akin to terrorism? In the past few months, we have seen Chinese state-linked banks, shops damaged and destroyed, MTR Stations repetitively damaged before the climax last week when the rioters went berserk to paralyse the city. They guarded university campuses and inflicted maximum damage at the surrounding vicinity. However, the violence took a soft turn after the elite radicals were trapped inside Hong Kong Polytechnic University. As at 11pm yesterday, a total of 800 protesters have left the Hong Kong Polytechnic University peacefully while having their particulars taken down by police. Only 100-odd radicals are still stranded inside as the last men standing. City dwellers can now take a breather while the pro-democracy mastermind re-strategise after their manpower is crippled.

No local news outlet has covered extensively the marred state of Nathan Road where burned vehicles were left behind with bamboo sticks, Stonehenge-style bricks scattered all over and bricks removed from pedestrian pavement. Several media reporters and cameramen from TVB were allegedly assaulted for attempting to film the rioters setting the vehicles on fire on 18th November near Mira Place and Observatory Road in TST.

Why? Most media outlets in Hong Kong are anti-establishment as they do not want to show the ugly side of the protesters. Many foreign news agencies still regard the protesters in Hong Kong as innocent and peaceful young people who are fighting for their ‘five demands, not one less’. Hong Kong student activist Joey Siu even told Award-winning British journalist Tim Sebastian in a DW interview recently that: “It is the government that forces us to take on the streets and to break the laws.” (Read HERE).

Only cases of police violence and allegations of police brutality are repetitively showcased to the world while the Hong Kong Police and government are left with their hands tied because they are losing the perception war on social media. Why? Most people only want to believe propaganda and twisted facts supported by anti-establishment media. News and press interviews broadcasted by Government agencies are usually regarded as smokescreen to cover their flaws. People choose not to believe them as they are always one step behind to counter any attack and allegation against them. Social media and anti-establishment news agencies are always one step ahead of the game, gruesome videos and pictures of police brutality are shared at lightning speed to incite anger on social media and Telegram group.

To make matter worse, the recent High Court ruling of anti-mask law as unconstitutional and ‘incompatible with the Basic Law’, the latest confession of Simon Cheng, the UK Consulate who was allegedly tortured by Chinese officials and the passing of the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act by US Senate (pending signature by the President Trump) have given the pro-democracy supporters more bullets to justify their actions.

Meanwhile, the Beijing Government has severely condemned the High Court on its ghastly ruling and also scorned the United States for interfering with their internal affairs. The Beijing government has also accused Jimmy Lai, the media mogul who owns Apple Daily for inciting young people to participate in illegal street rallies and orchestrating the political upheaval. NGOs from the United States and other parties including Jimmy himself were allegedly funding the frontline protesters. Many non-believers chose not to concur that the frontline radicals were funded as they were genuinely fighting for a good cause. The toothless counter-attack by government lacks merits and credibility to convince the people. Hard evidence is needed before the statements can create any impact as the public is already disillusioned. The only antidote for the government to cure the current deadlock is factual attack and not baseless propaganda as the pro-democracy team has checkmated the government both on-ground and online.

At around 5pm yesterday, 5 armed South Asian men made off with luggage containing over HK$10m in cash on Minden Avenue in TST (Read HERE). The luggage belonged to two men who were clad in black and slashed by the assailants. They were reportedly working for a money changer nearby. If the Hong Kong government were to have a strong covert propaganda machinery, this news would have been reported as half-truth on social media to accuse the two as the medium for supplying cash to frontline radicals. Why would anyone clad in black carry a luggage full of cash walk near the conflict area? Similarly, pro-democracy machinery has labelled police as rapists, murderers and frontline radicals in disguise. When a fakes news is published widely and repetitively, it will become real and people will be so gullible to believe without checking the facts. However, this only works in favour of pro-democracy supporters now as they have an upper hand in the propaganda war.

Two men were assaulted and slashed before losing their luggage containing more than HK$10m in cash.

In the wake of the recent catastrophic events taking place in Hong Kong, the silent majority has questioned the malicious intent behind the rioters as they have brought upon grave inconvenience to the city after the public transport, roads (e.g. Tolo Highway) and Cross Harbour Tunnel (which is still closed to motorists) were crippled. Who in the right frame of mind would support their cause (albeit a small group of radical protesters and students who have no stake in the economy) when they took things in their own hands to destroy the city? Gone are the 2 million peaceful protesters who would willingly take to the streets with their families in a carnival-like atmosphere. What is left in the illegal street rallies are the violent radicals who show no mercy in destroying our beloved city. The unruly sights around the city are the hard facts and evidence the government need to play on to win their support back. Sadly, neither the Hong Kong government nor the Beijing Government has sufficient machinery to showcase to the world the true colours of the radicals. They even resorted to using porn sites like Pornhub to publish China’s narrative about the Hong Kong protests overseas (Read HERE).

Finally, the government needs to simultaneously step up to listen to the people by implementing measures to mend the cracks in the society.

Bricks on pedestrian pavement removed by rioters.

Bricks removed in front of the Kowloon Mosque.

















Shops and streets were damaged in TST while buses and cars were burned on Nathan Road.



















Trains and MTR Stations were severely vandalised.







Tyres of a taxi punctured by embedded sharp metal rods on Gascoigne Road in Kowloon left behind by rioters.

A woman taking cover when the bus window was shattered in Tin Shui Wai on 12th November.

Rioters inserted broken bricks into tram rail on 12th November in Central.