Richard Harris

Yes, Hong Kong’s police have made mistakes but they have also shown commendable restraint - imagine what would have happened otherwise

Many of the police tactics have been inadvisable but officers are still Hongkongers who want to do what is right for their city. The police had a difficult relationship with the public even before the protests and an overhaul of community relations is needed

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Why you can trust SCMP

Protesters against the now-withdrawn extradition bill gather along Harcourt Road, Admiralty, on June 9 as police stand guard. Photo: Winson Wong

Richard Harris

Published: 1:00pm, 19 Sep 2019Updated: 10:21pm, 19 Sep 2019

It is just over 50 years since Woodstock. The guys who organised it admitted they didn’t know what they were doing when they asked a hippie commune, Hog Farm, led by a man named Wavy Gravy (true) to provide security for half a million drug-, booze-, sex-, and rock-and-roll-filled concertgoers. Security went without a hitch – they called themselves the “Please Force”.

While not suggesting that the Hong Kong Police Force should employ the same methods, they have not said “please” enough. The general public views the police with suspicion and wariness. For too long, they have been bossy and rude, referring to citizens as “cockroaches”. Members of the public are stopped and searched, often between the unticketed cars of the fat cats illegally parked in Central. One rule for them; another for us.

The lack of community liaison is due to years of negligence by the police leadership, who have placed no priority on developing relationships with the public. Some weeks ago, at London’s crowded Notting Hill Carnival, the Metropolitan Police were handing out (reusable) water bottles with “Metfriendly” on them. When the 2019 Water Revolution calms down, our next police commissioner has a lot of bottles to distribute.

I am a supporter of the Hong Kong police. Asia’s finest have shown great restraint and discretion in allowing the vandalising rioters to escalate things. Our police have got it right in a very important way. They have the lethal weapons to take a much harder line, but using them would cause unlimited damage to the Hong Kong economy and permanently split society. This restraint should be recognised and applauded.

The early police tactics were misconceived and served only to give succour to the current spate of vandal-filled riots. Allowing rioters the freedom to trash the Legislative Council, vandalise the national emblem outside Beijing’s liaison office, and target the airport was ill-judged and made the police look incompetent, asleep or, worse, politically correct.