An old but interesting article about the Free Syrian Police being unarmed.Quote:
Originally Posted by Philippus Flavius Homovallumus
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-39458062
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An old but interesting article about the Free Syrian Police being unarmed.Quote:
Originally Posted by Philippus Flavius Homovallumus
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-39458062
Fear? Anger in the moment? Standing in the middle of a riot as the visible agent of the "oppressor" cannot be a low-stress undertaking.
Possible it was done methodically as a calculated scare tactic, but I think that unlikely. A single pistoling cannot have the quelling effect of Napoleon's "whiff of grapeshot."
Depends where you live. In the USA, without one, they'd be bringing a club to a gunfight.Quote:
Originally Posted by Philippus Flavius Homovallumus
According to the article, in that particular case, an officer was being beaten by a mob, with the gunman going in gun drawn, possibly to break it up and let the other officer go. One of said mob aimed a bar at the gunman (this bit I've seen), and the gunman shot him. There may well have been police brutality elsewhere, but in this particular case, I wouldn't describe it as that. Idiocy, bordering on attempted suicide by cop, possibly not expecting a police officer to actually open fire if there was any thought at all. A firebomb was thrown shortly afterwards, and the shot protester was wearing a mask, so given the HK populace isn't generally armed, I'd say the protesters were as prepared as they could be for a violent demonstration (peaceful demonstrators don't tend to carry or prepare firebombs).Quote:
Originally Posted by Seamus Fermanagh
If you watch the video, it's plausible that it could be just that. Of course police in other countries are more deliberate with gun fire than the American Rambo wannabes, so the single targeted discharge is not dispositive, but without studying the Hong Kong situation or the usual operations of the Hong Kong police more carefully I could easily believe that police leadership either wanted someone, anyone, made an example of, or else authorized the brandishing of firearms to the point that it was inevitable someone would be shot. (Shooter wasn't the only cop with sidearm out that day).Quote:
Originally Posted by Seamus Fermanagh
All police in HK are armed. They even carry them home. Even if the gun wasn't drawn, anyone swinging a bar at a police officer is an idiot.Quote:
Originally Posted by Montmorency
I miss Frags. He would be say something (paraphrased) like: "NBA, Apple, Blizzard and others kowtowing to the Chinese Pooh Bear."
He would - then I think he'd say something totally OTT about the Chinese "street warriors".
:cry:
It's worth noting that the backlash caused Blizzard to partially if not mostly back-track.
This raises an important point - as limp as the West's Governments are being people are still aghast - we aren't "getting used" to seeing Hong-Kongers brutalised.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-50428704
A 70-year old cleaner on his lunch break died after being his with a missile in the crossfire.
Now THAT would be a pretty good start. But what about the people born since handover?Quote:
Update on new rules for Hongkongers seeking to live/work in UK: Home Office appears to confirm that if China presses on with security law, *all* 2.9m 'British nationals (overseas)' in Hong Kong will be allowed to come to UK whether or not they *currently* hold a BN(O) passport.
if they are dependents of BNO passport holders, sure.