This archive report was first published on 9 June 2020.
June 9, 2020
Hong Kong Protests One Year On: Police Brutality in Focus ¶
Joseph, an 18-year-old Hong Kong high school student, needed 14 stitches to close a head wound caused by police batons during last year's pro-democracy protests.
He was arrested and spent 48 hours handcuffed to a hospital gurney while being treated for his injuries, which he sustained during a violent confrontation between police and protesters at Prince Edward subway station on August 31.
According to Joseph, he was making his way home on the subway that night when police rushed in and repeatedly clubbed those inside, including him.
"My head wouldn't stop bleeding," Joseph recalled, describing the traumatic experience.
Despite the severity of his injuries, Joseph was never charged with any offense.
He has since launched a civil suit against the police to claim damages, but has made little headway due to the identities of the officers involved remaining unrevealed and the coronavirus outbreak delaying court proceedings.
Police reject allegations of brutality, saying officers deployed appropriate force to meet the tactics of protesters who were becoming increasingly violent after months of clashes.
However, rights groups disagree, saying multiple instances of excessive force have been documented against non-violent protesters or people who had stopped being a threat.
One core demand of the movement has been an independent inquiry into police tactics, something both Beijing and Hong Kong's leaders have repeatedly rejected.
Joseph's experience has since given him a career focus – he has just finished university entrance exams and now hopes to study law.
"After experiencing the movement, I felt like I could do more for society," he said.
