Hong Kong priest calls on young people to reject violence

The demonstrations that agitate the Territory are stained by acts of violence: "Christians must say no to hatred and fight against the darkness".  Carrie Lam condemns "radical protesters, ready for anything".  Democratic deputies kneel before young people: "Let us remain peaceful".

Hong Kong (AsiaNews) - Young people in Hong Kong "must be cautious and carefully evaluate the truthfulness of the information they receive from all the parties involved.  They must think critically and independently, with the support of the more mature generations ,"  urges Fr.  Jacob Kwok, diocesan priest of the Territory, who marched yesterday to remember the return of the former colony to the motherland.

For the past 22 years, every first July the citizens of the territory demonstrate in favor of their freedom.  This year the demonstrations are marked by the cancellation of the China extradition law, which risks reducing legal autonomy and freedom of expression in Hong Kong to almost zero.  Yesterday's march had very high moments of tension, with the police taking control of the Legislative Council, a small local "Parliament" only during the night.

Fr.  Kwok shared the protest with young people, but warned them against the pitfalls presented in messages addressed to the population.  The priest quoted a video that appeared on YouTube, in which a young man accuses his parents of "not loving their children, abandones to tear gas and police violence".  This video, commented Fr.  Kwok, "promotes hatred, animosity and distrust between generations.  It's wrong".

The Christians, he underlined, "must say no to hatred and fight against the dark, in favor of light.  Before marching, we are called to pray and promote reconciliation and trust in the population ".  According to Protestant pastor Chan Young-man, also present at the event, "the people of Hong Kong made history, organizing numerous and peaceful protests.  We must continue on this path ".

However, violence has not been lacking.  Today the government of Hong Kong, in the person of the chief executive Carrie Lam, has accused the protesters who have occupied the Parliament of having used "extreme violence": "The radical protesters have taken the legislative Council complex by storm with a  extreme violence.  These protesters have seriously endangered the safety of police officers and the public, such violent acts are unacceptable to society ".

Protest leaders, organized by the Civil Front for Human Rights, have tried in every way to stop the clashes.  Democratic deputy Lam Cheuk-ting even knelt before the violent begging them to stay calm.  However, the crowd repelled him  along with party mate Roy Kwong Chun-yu.  The worrying thing, underline other organizers, “is the desperation of these young people.  They feel as if they had their  backs to the wall, and believe that violence is the only answer that is still useful in the face of pressure from Beijing ”.