US protesters less disciplined - HK student

A Hong Kong student who's on exchange in San Francisco said she will go out less amid the protests and citywide curfew.

Although scenes of arson and blockades seem to resemble the protests in Hong Kong, the student surnamed Cheung said the US protesters were "less disciplined" as many shops were looted and burned down, posing danger to people.

Cheung, who headed to the US in February, said grocery shopping has been inconvenient due to the curfew, which is in effect from 8pm to 5am.

But the 21-year-old social science major remains unfazed about her personal safety as she lives far from the city center.

"The daily life of Hong Kong last year even resembled a warzone, and I was not too anxious about that either," she said. "But sometimes I do see police helicopters flying overhead."

Drawing from both experiences, she noted some differences between Hong Kong and American protesters.

"When Hong Kong protesters damage shops, they only target the pro-Beijing ones. But protesters in the US do so without a specific reason, and they even loot lots of innocent shops," she said. "Some even carry a gun with them."

Cheung said the protests were being fueled by growing resentment of the Trump administration's handling of the economic recession amid the coronavirus pandemic.

"Police in the US will also use force against protesters, which can be seen in the George Floyd incident ... In New York, some officers drove their vehicles into protesters," she said.

"Hong Kong shows a similar situation, but I think in some cases police brutality is way more severe in Hong Kong as there are officers in the US that support protesters, and not all of them use force against protesters."

Meanwhile, an Australian journalist who covered the Hong Kong protests and witnessed the US unrest said there were fires all over his New York neighborhood.

"I saw four police cars set on fire. There were numerous smaller spot fires set all over the neighborhood - this was no longer a protest but a riot," Joel Labi said.

"The scenes of looting and destruction across America are also very troubling. I don't recall seeing that in Hong Kong whereas once the sun goes down here, you can clearly see some people with ulterior motives are coming out."

Yvonne Fang, a university student living in San Jose, said she has not left her apartment since Friday in fear of being beaten by protesters.

"No one dares to go out after seeing what's happening in the news. My relatives and friends also told me not to leave home," she said.

erin.chan@singtaonewscorp.com