BLM Protesters Take Notes From Hong Kong Demonstrations to Respond to Police

Those strategies have been spotted in cities such as Portland and Seattle, where protests seeking justice for the death of George Floyd and an end to police brutality continue.

In videos posted on Twitter, American protesters are seen using objects such as bowls and traffic cones to contain smoke from tear gas canisters, which are commonly used for crowd control.

Such tactics — among various others — had been widely used in Hong Kong.

“I’m from Hong Kong and protesters here have some of the smartest tactics when fighting with our own police brutality. Here is an example of how they put out tear gas,” wrote one Twitter user, who promised to share more when needed.

Another suggested: “Anything works. Anything. Grab big things. Garbage cans, poles, sticks, whatever you can find.”

One video from Demosistō, a pro-democracy party in Hong Kong, became viral last week. It involved the use of a leaf blower to tackle tear gas.

“Now it has almost 10 million views,” Jeffrey Ngo, the organization’s chief strategist, told VICE News. “I’m pretty sure U.S. protesters learned this tactic entirely online.”

The method has been spotted in places like Detroit, Missouri and Wisconsin.

“Learn from Hong Kong and employ their tactics against unwarranted aggression,” one Twitter user commented.

Global Times, a Chinese government-backed newspaper, described Hong Kong protesters who share such tips as “rioters” in a recent article.

As demonstrations continue in the U.S., China revels in the moment to highlight American hypocrisy, according to The New York Times.

A cartoon from People’s Daily — another newspaper controlled by the Chinese Communist Party — shows the Statue of Liberty cracking into pieces, with a man’s head lying in front of a bloodied White House.

Its title: “Beneath Human Rights.”

While protests in Hong Kong and the U.S. now share similarities, there have also been notable differences. For one, unlike the Hong Kong demonstrations, the rallies in the U.S. have become avenues for widespread looting.

American protesters are also being discouraged from using laser pointers. In the U.S., police reportedly anticipate that the lights could come from guns with laser scopes.

“Pigs pointed a gun in the crowd because someone is using a laser in Raleigh [North Carolina]. Do not bring a f*cking laser to protests,” one Twitter user warned.

Feature Image (left) via @VitalistInt