PROCEEDINGS OF ASIAN SYMPOSIUM: INTERDISCIPLINARY PERSPECTIVES ACROSS CULTURAL FRONTIERS

The violence witnessed during the 2019-2020 protests in Hong Kong is unprecedented from the perspective of both the police force and the public. While protesters employed a diverse means of retaliation, the reaction of the police was considered extreme and led to alleged physical and verbal abuses. The authorities’ narrative around violence deprives the protesters of the right to dissent and creates what Water Benjamin refers to as a monopoly on the use of violence. The reaction of the police, together with Carrie Lam’s protection of the institution, worsened the conflict and led to the radicalization of protesters, who called for an independent inquiry into the abuses.