Youth shot by Hong Kong policeman in critical condition
The young man underwent liver and kidney surgery. He had approached the police officer unarmed who then fired. The population increasingly critical of the growing police violence.
Hong Kong (AsiaNews) - A 21-year-old young man was shot in the chest by a policeman and is now in critical condition at the Eastern Hospital where he underwent liver and kidney surgery.
The hospital is under police control. Many hospital employees are demonstrating against increasingly brutal attacks by law enforcement officers against the extradition movement.
The young man was injured this morning at around 8am in Sai Wan Ho, in the east of the island of Hong Kong. Along with dozens of other young protesters, he was blocking the intersection of Shing On Street and Tai Shek Street with stones and other objects as part of the general strike against the government launched today in many areas of the territory.
The policeman tried to stop them and pulled out his gun pointing it at one of the protesters. An unarmed protester, dressed in black, went towards him perhaps to try to take away his gun, when the policeman fired a shot at close range, of about half a meter. The young man fell to the ground seriously injured. Other protesters tried to immobilize the policeman and he fired two more shots. Then his other colleagues intervened, removing the protesters and blocking some of them. The people around began to shout at the police and their use of violence, throwing objects and stones at them. The police, in response, tried to disperse the crowd. A video was posted to the internet picturing the injured youth (see here)
Police authorities deny having given officers a license to use firearms at will. In any case, police violence against demonstrations has become increasingly intense.
Another video that circulates online shows a traffic policeman driving against protesters in Kwai Fong with his motorcycle in an attempt to scare them and run them over.
Meanwhile, the news of the young man's wounding in Sai Wan Ho is pushing many people to take to the streets in spontaneous demonstrations across the territory.
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16/12/2019
20/01/2020 11:45
