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(CNN) – Hong Kong police have come under harsh criticism after a widely circulated video showed officers shooting down a 12-year-old girl during a pro-democracy protest.
The video, published by the student media group of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), showed the girl walking down a sidewalk when riot police stopped her. The girl started to run away before the police chased her and threw her to the ground.
In a statement, the force defended the actions of its agents, saying they had deployed “the minimum necessary force” in the situation. He said that the protesters, including the girl, had been intercepted to detain and search them.
“During the interaction, he suddenly ran away in a suspicious way,” he said. “The officers therefore pursued and subdued her with the use of the minimum force necessary.”
Police said the girl had violated the city’s ban on gatherings of more than two people, adding that she was fined with a $ 2,000 Hong Kong dollar ($ 258) fine.
Ongoing protests
Nearly 300 protesters were arrested on Sunday, according to police, during one of the largest pro-democracy demonstrations since China imposed a national security law in June.
Hong Kongers were originally scheduled to go to the polls on Sunday, but in July the city leader postponed legislative elections for a year, citing public health concerns.
Some pro-democracy activists, who were aiming to win a majority in the city’s Legislative Council, accused the government of using the coronavirus pandemic as an excuse, fearing that pro-government parties could get it wrong in the vote.
Hong Kong has been in a state of political turmoil since June 2019, when anti-government protests erupted in the city, initially spurred on by a controversial extradition bill that was eventually shelved.
Since then, the demonstrations have developed into a broader protest movement against the city’s pro-Beijing government, the Chinese central government and the police force, which many accuse of excessive use of force.
Police have consistently argued that their tactics are the result of violence and rioting by protesters, and have vigorously denied wrongdoing and allegations of brutality.
This story was first published on CNN.com ‘Hong Kong police criticized for throwing 12-year-old boy to the ground during protests’
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