HONG KONG -- Hong Kong鈥檚 much-maligned police force has slipped on a banana peel by trying to make light of its liberal use of tear gas during the territory鈥檚 protest movement.
Mimicking an to a wall, of a canister similarly taped, with the words: 鈥淪ay NO to violence. Let鈥檚 leave the tear gas cartridge on the wall forever.鈥�
鈥淔or a Police officer, using force, including tear gas, is always the last resort. If rioters don鈥檛 use violence, Hong Kong will be safe and there鈥檚 no reason for us to use force,鈥� the post on its Twitter account said.
Respondents to the post called it crass and some, in turn, posted videos of Hong Kong police鈥檚 actions, which protesters say has been excessive.
The police force has fired nearly 16,000 tear gas rounds and made more than 6,000 arrests during the six months of pro-democracy demonstrations that have at times been marked by violent clashes and vandalism of government buildings, transit hubs and commercial spaces.
The protesters鈥� demands include an independent investigation of police actions, amnesty for protesters who have been arrested and retraction of the description of protesters as 鈥渞ioters.鈥� They say the label characterizes peaceful demonstrators as criminals who could face long imprisonments.
Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam has refused to meet those demands, saying a police investigation is sufficient and that dropping criminal cases against the protesters would not follow the rule of law.
The police watchdog agency that is investigating suffered a blow this week when foreign experts it recruited to bolster the credibility of its work quit, saying its probe lacked the powers and tools it needs.
The police force鈥檚 make-light tweet about tear gas initially included a 鈥淏ananaart鈥� hashtag, but that was then deleted. The force then reposted its tweet without it.
