The US government and Western politicians’ are holding a “blatant double standard” for their stance towards the recent Los Angeles riots and the social unrest that rocked Hong Kong in 2019, a political pundit said.
This came after US president Donald Trump ordered a crackdown on illegal immigrants in Los Angeles on June 6, sparking days of protests, before escalating into confrontations between police and protesters. Trump later deployed national guards and marines and barred citizens from wearing a mask in an attempt to curb the protests, but it only spread to other cities, including New York, Chicago, Atlanta, and Seattle.
A political commentator told East Week, The Standard’s sister publication, that Hong Kong police have exercised remarkable restraint, despite radical protesters violently storming the Legislative Council, vandalizing facilities, and attacking police officers.
Officers only used pepper spray, tear gas, and water cannons as necessary, the commentator said, but Western countries, led by the US, smeared the police for exerting excessive force and brutality, with then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi calling the riots in Hong Kong “a beautiful sight.”
The commentator added that during the “black-clad violence,” anti-China agitators in Hong Kong also lobbied the US to pass the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, prompting sanctions towards China and Hong Kong officials involved in restoring order to the city, which was later signed into law by Trump in November 2019.
“Those anti-China agitators, some have already absconded overseas as wanted fugitives under the National Security Law. But they have never commented on US law enforcement using even greater force to subdue protesters,” the commentator said.
“The Hong Kong Journalists Association, who claimed to be a member of the International Federation of Journalists, also did not comment on US reporters being hurt while carrying out their job during protests.”
The commentator said Western politicians took two distinctly different stances towards two very similar instances of social unrest, which blatantly exposes their “double-standard,” and their aim to suppress China through Hong Kong.
“I believe the Los Angeles protests sparked many Hongkongers to review, especially amid the fifth anniversary of the Hong Kong National Security Law, that the black-clad violence was manipulated by foreign forces,” the commentator said.
“Hongkongers should also have an even deeper understanding of the importance of setting up laws to safeguard national security, and treasure the safe and stable social environment that we currently have.”
(Staff reporter)
