This archive report was first published on 15 August 2019.
As protests in Hong Kong enter their second month, concerns are growing that the situation could escalate into a bloody crackdown reminiscent of the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989.
On August 14, 2019, a chaotic scene unfolded at Hong Kong International Airport when demonstrators attacked two men from mainland China, including a journalist. The protests, initially sparked by a proposed extradition law, have expanded to include demands for universal suffrage, an independent investigation of the police's handling of the demonstrations, and amnesty for hundreds of arrested protesters.
Despite the peaceful nature of the protests, the police have used tear gas, pepper spray, and batons to disperse the crowds. International human rights groups, including the United Nations Human Rights office, Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch, have condemned the police's tactics.
US President Donald Trump tweeted on August 13, 2019, that the Chinese government had moved troops to the border with Hong Kong, and encouraged everyone to be 'calm and safe.' While some protesters welcomed Trump's comments, others expressed concern that the US would not take more significant actions to support the protests.
China has accused foreign countries, primarily the US, of secretly backing the protest movement, an accusation strongly denied by American officials and dismissed by protesters as baseless.
