As for reporters, some Facebooker gave me this link yesterday:
From the video, my conclusions are:
1) The journalist wasn't interested in his job. But he was there to add fuel to fire. And was also attacking AND provoking police officers, using vulgarities and a defiant and challenging attitude. (Which newspaper or news station is he from? What kind of professional reporter was that??)
2) The police didn't point their weapon at him. And showed professionalism and self-control. (If I was there, I would probably be like glancing at him from the corner of my eyes from time to time. Have to keep an eye on him, and be prepared for any time he might use his camera as some weapon and THROW it at someone in the vicinity.)
3) Was that a French journalist or some French UFO? Beastly.
4) Reporters who go in to report on protests must apply for a license and get some safety equipment from the police, such as a vest to differentiate them from the crowds. The application process (and the corresponding application fees) will be revealed at a later date.
5) Reporters and journalists ought to get trained AND certified for wartime reporting if they want to get into such situations.
6) Some folks should be BANNED from stepping onto HK soil.
The organizer of the protests has a legal responsibility to help ensure that the protestors do not get injured. I am wondering now if the police should not take legal action against the organiser.
There have been several protests in HK the last few years. That alone must have given the officers some experience in knowing how to handle rioting situations.
If you want to be some Hero, first you must be mentally prepared that you might be treated like Zero (in America some are called Negroes) and taken down by force.
HK students behave more like babies, screaming Wah wah wah, at the slightest provocation. Please, just go home to drink your mama's milk lah.
What goes around comes around. You reap what you sow.
If any police officer is faced with a suspect with a weapon, the police officer should say this: "I'm here to help. Have some self-respect. Drop the weapon!!" If the criminal refuses to obey the officer, then he has every right and authority to shoot the criminal. Because it's his responsibility to protect innocent people, himself, his colleagues as well as public property.
You have to obey the officers for your own safety. Do NOT anyhow accuse officers of being trigger happy. (HK police is NOT trigger happy. They haven't shot at any citizen in the last two weeks or the last two protests.)
You are NOT a police officer and you cannot imagine the enormous stress and pressure of an officer. Most officers have to undergo psychological counselling after pulling the trigger.
Respect yourself and respect the other person.
If you do not go against the law, the police wouldn't bother you.
But when you are part of a huge number of people and some of the people are creating havoc and chaos in the streets in broad daylight, that's called lawlessness.
In a chaotic and lawless situation, the police still has the same responsibilities. They can't just walk by and pretend not to have seen you.