Advertisement

Hong Kong police are using coronavirus restrictions to clamp down on protesters

Hong Kong police are using coronavirus restrictions to clamp down on protesters

A new Hong Kong regulation banning public gatherings of more than four people, enacted last week in an effort to combat the coronavirus pandemic, immediately stoked fears that it might be used to crack down on political dissent—and it appears to be happening already. Yesterday, protesters gathered outside the Prince Edward subway station in Hong Kong to mark seven months since a major event in last year’s protests, when riot police officers stormed into the station beating passengers indiscriminately. Public trust in the local police force is at all-time lows, and unresolved police brutality continues to be an ongoing problem.