Hong Kong policeman who mocked slogan ‘I can’t breathe’ ordered to be more sensitive
蘋果日報 2020/06/14 12:40
A Hong Kong police officer who repeatedly chanted “I can’t breathe” and other anti-police brutality slogans while dispersing protesters was ordered to be aware of personal conduct while on duty and to “be more sensitive”, police said.
In a video uploaded on Facebook, a riot police officer is seen walking towards the camera while chanting slogans “Black Live Matters (sic)”, “I can’t breathe” and “Here is not America” during a dispersal operation of protesters in Yau Ma Tei on Friday evening.
The slogans have been used widely in worldwide protests against police brutality and racism sparked by the death of George Floyd, an African-American man in Minneapolis, Minnesota in the United States last month. A video of the incident shows a police officer kneeling on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes while he pleads “I can’t breathe.”
It is not clear what prompted the Hong Kong police officer to chant the slogans.
In response to media inquiry, police said they have taken note of a frontline police officer who had made irrelevant comments while being on duty. The officer has been instructed to be aware of his own actions and personal remarks and to be more sensitive, the statement said. Police will decide whether any disciplinary action is needed according to the results of an investigation.
This came after the Hong Kong Journalists Association urged police top brass to explain the reasons for the officer’s behavior, whether it was appropriate and said they should pay attention to the emotional well-being of “out of control” police officers on the frontlines.
Hong Kong protesters in the past year have accused frontline police for using excessive force and abusing their power during clearance operations throughout the year of anti-government protests. A report by the Independent Police Complaints Council found that the police handling of the protests had complied with international guidelines, but had recommended more training for officers and clearer guidelines on use of weapons.
Separately, a video on Friday also showed a police officer shoving a woman who was trying to cross the road onto the ground.
The association also criticized police for barring journalists from covering Friday night’s protests at reasonable distances, urging them to cooperate with reporters on the frontlines and to respect freedom of press.
Police arrested 43 people between Friday evening and early Saturday morning in protests in Causeway Bay, Mong Kok, Yuen Long and Kwun Tong over charges from wounding to unauthorized assembly. The June 12 protests marked the one year anniversary when protesters and police clashed outside the Legislative Council, a watershed that triggered last year’s social unrest.
In a video uploaded on Facebook, a riot police officer is seen walking towards the camera while chanting slogans “Black Live Matters (sic)”, “I can’t breathe” and “Here is not America” during a dispersal operation of protesters in Yau Ma Tei on Friday evening.
The slogans have been used widely in worldwide protests against police brutality and racism sparked by the death of George Floyd, an African-American man in Minneapolis, Minnesota in the United States last month. A video of the incident shows a police officer kneeling on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes while he pleads “I can’t breathe.”
It is not clear what prompted the Hong Kong police officer to chant the slogans.
In response to media inquiry, police said they have taken note of a frontline police officer who had made irrelevant comments while being on duty. The officer has been instructed to be aware of his own actions and personal remarks and to be more sensitive, the statement said. Police will decide whether any disciplinary action is needed according to the results of an investigation.
This came after the Hong Kong Journalists Association urged police top brass to explain the reasons for the officer’s behavior, whether it was appropriate and said they should pay attention to the emotional well-being of “out of control” police officers on the frontlines.
Hong Kong protesters in the past year have accused frontline police for using excessive force and abusing their power during clearance operations throughout the year of anti-government protests. A report by the Independent Police Complaints Council found that the police handling of the protests had complied with international guidelines, but had recommended more training for officers and clearer guidelines on use of weapons.
Separately, a video on Friday also showed a police officer shoving a woman who was trying to cross the road onto the ground.
The association also criticized police for barring journalists from covering Friday night’s protests at reasonable distances, urging them to cooperate with reporters on the frontlines and to respect freedom of press.
Police arrested 43 people between Friday evening and early Saturday morning in protests in Causeway Bay, Mong Kok, Yuen Long and Kwun Tong over charges from wounding to unauthorized assembly. The June 12 protests marked the one year anniversary when protesters and police clashed outside the Legislative Council, a watershed that triggered last year’s social unrest.
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