11.11-12 Dawn of revenge I
“It’s merely coincidence he is not your child.”
Chow Tsz-lok’s death was a blow and resentment for Hong Kong people, and also a great warning. The city is filled with horror, even if you’re not a protester, if you appeared at the wrong time or wrong place, you may face tear gas, pepper spray, police brutality and abuse, or even injuries and death.
Nov 11, protesters organized a premature strike, went on the street to rally and block the roads. Police used tear gas rounds and bullets to deal with protesters. Facing excessive police violence, protesters built roadblocks and threw Molotov cocktails. Eggs versus a high wall, eggs are always the side which faces damage.
In Sai Wan Ho, a traffic police captured a boy, and shot another boy who came to rescue his companion without carrying any weapon or shield. The live bullet penetrated the boy’s kidney and liver. The traffic police also shot another boy.
In Tsuen Wan, a boy was discovered lying on the pavement, apparently having fallen to his death, his arm broken and twisted as seen in a photo.
Nov 12, Chinese University of Hong Kong became a battlefield, where protesters and police clashed fiercely. Police broke into the campus to arrest protesters, protesters built large covers and trebuchet for defense. The police used over 1500 tear gas rounds and 1300 rubber bullets. The president of the university tried to negotiate with the police, but attacked by tear gas instead.
My university also suffered tear gas near the resident hall area. That should have been a place for local and overseas students to live and rest, the students there did not pose threats to police and citizens. We were concerned about the safety of our friends and professors who was living there. And now, even our last safe haven is scarred. It feels like we have nowhere to go anymore.
One thing that I didn’t thought of, is that universities have been a sacred place of knowledge, wisdom, virtues and civilization. Even troops in WWII did not dare to attack universities. Protesters and students did resist in the university campus and throw things out to protect themselves, but it was the police who broke in the campus and induced large area damages.
At the same time, universities each announced the cancellation of graduation ceremonies. The ridiculous tragedy of students born in 1997 repeated again. I thought I could have finished university life with a happy ending this time, but I don’t even have the mood to celebrate anymore. Well then, if this is our fate, forever woven with the ups and downs of Hong Kong, I am willing to abandon so-called happy ending, and mark our journey with rebellion.
