Daily Update #8 - Clashes between Students and Police Continues at Poly U
Violent clashes between Poly U protestors and Hong Kong police continue to escalate, as students prepare themselves for a siege of the University by the armed police force. Mike Ives and Katherine Li of the New York Times examine the ever growing tensions in Hong Kong, and the alleged reason for the storming of the national university.
Beginning in March, residents have taken to the streets over a controversial extradition bill, one that protestors believe is another attack on their freedoms as citizens of Hong Kong. Since then, the protests have evolved to include "broader demands for democracy and police accountability," in regards to the fair treatment of Hong Kong citizens. As the protests extend into the latter months of the year, China has began to crack down on the sources of unrest. The Hong Kong police force now looks to take control of the university, as The Times reported that police were spotted "spraying tear gas at an entrance of Hong Kong Polytechnic University,". A major reason for the siege is because China believes the campus is a “factory to make gasoline bombs, bows and arrows, and other rudimentary weapons for use against officers," as state by a Chinese official. As protestors continue to fill the streets, many are rallying behind the recent death of a student who fell from a parking garage, chanting “Hong Kong people, take revenge,” in honor of the young man.
The authors, Mike Ives and Katherine Li, constructed a very informational piece that allowed the readers to gain a closer look into the story than otherwise available. Their ability to take advantage of the use of images, graphs, and maps helped add to the overall understanding of the story. One mistake that was not addressed in the story was that they did not give any platform to the side of the protestors, instead only using the official statements or interviews from pro-China sources. Some of the interviews and rhetoric in the article painted the protestors in bad light, so giving the readers the perspective of the importance of their protesting would have improved the piece.
Link: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/14/world/asia/hong-kong-protests.html
Beginning in March, residents have taken to the streets over a controversial extradition bill, one that protestors believe is another attack on their freedoms as citizens of Hong Kong. Since then, the protests have evolved to include "broader demands for democracy and police accountability," in regards to the fair treatment of Hong Kong citizens. As the protests extend into the latter months of the year, China has began to crack down on the sources of unrest. The Hong Kong police force now looks to take control of the university, as The Times reported that police were spotted "spraying tear gas at an entrance of Hong Kong Polytechnic University,". A major reason for the siege is because China believes the campus is a “factory to make gasoline bombs, bows and arrows, and other rudimentary weapons for use against officers," as state by a Chinese official. As protestors continue to fill the streets, many are rallying behind the recent death of a student who fell from a parking garage, chanting “Hong Kong people, take revenge,” in honor of the young man.
The authors, Mike Ives and Katherine Li, constructed a very informational piece that allowed the readers to gain a closer look into the story than otherwise available. Their ability to take advantage of the use of images, graphs, and maps helped add to the overall understanding of the story. One mistake that was not addressed in the story was that they did not give any platform to the side of the protestors, instead only using the official statements or interviews from pro-China sources. Some of the interviews and rhetoric in the article painted the protestors in bad light, so giving the readers the perspective of the importance of their protesting would have improved the piece.
Link: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/14/world/asia/hong-kong-protests.html
Comments
Post a Comment