The protests in Hong Kong intensified on Sunday after protesters surrounded a police station and dismantled a "surveillance lamppost" with a chainsaw, prompting the police to fire tear gas to disperse them.
According to reports, the protesters in the Kwun Tong district held up umbrellas to mask their identities as they took down the ‘smart’ lamppost, which was part of a pilot project that was introduced in Kwun Tong and the Kai Tak development zone in June.
350 of the smart lampposts, equipped with sensors and closed-circuit cameras, were planned as part of a three-year scheme according to Hong Kong Free Press. Protesters opposed the posts out of concern for their privacy, though the government claims they are present to moniter air quality, traffic and weather data.
In a statement, the police say they used ‘minimum force’ to dispel the protesters, even as tear gas was used for the first time in a week.
The political cartoonist "Badiucao" depicted the event in a cartoon released on Sunday, depicting "Big Brother's lamppost falling in Hong Kong."
Sunday also saw the Hong Kong police deploy water cannons for the first time, firing at crowds in an exchange that also saw protesters hurl petrol bombs at the police.
This is the twelfth consecutive week of protests in Hong Kong, which began over demands to remove a controversial bill that would have seen Hong Kongers extradited to mainland China for certain crimes. The protests since evolved into a pro-democratic movement, with demands for an independent inquiry into claims of police brutality as well as the removal of Hong Kong’s Chief Executive Carrie Lam.350 of the smart lampposts, equipped with sensors and closed-circuit cameras, were planned as part of a three-year scheme according to Hong Kong Free Press. Protesters opposed the posts out of concern for their privacy, though the government claims they are present to moniter air quality, traffic and weather data.
In a statement, the police say they used ‘minimum force’ to dispel the protesters, even as tear gas was used for the first time in a week.
The political cartoonist "Badiucao" depicted the event in a cartoon released on Sunday, depicting "Big Brother's lamppost falling in Hong Kong."
— 巴丢草 Badiucao (@badiucao) August 25, 2019
Sunday also saw the Hong Kong police deploy water cannons for the first time, firing at crowds in an exchange that also saw protesters hurl petrol bombs at the police.
This is the twelfth consecutive week of protests in Hong Kong, which began over demands to remove a controversial bill that would have seen Hong Kongers extradited to mainland China for certain crimes. The protests since evolved into a pro-democratic movement, with demands for an independent inquiry into claims of police brutality as well as the removal of Hong Kong’s Chief Executive Carrie Lam.
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