‘The people’s enemy’: Hong Kong leader slams violent protesters

Extreme acts of violence have discredited the Hong Kong protesters and turned them into enemies of the people, the territory’s leader, Carrie Lam, has argued.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam condemned the “rioters” for “relentlessly destroying society,” and said that their calls for reforms have been overshadowed by acts of regular violence.

Labeling the masked mobs as “the people’s enemy,” Lam referenced an incident on Monday in which a man was set on fire by protesters for not agreeing with their anti-China views. An extremely graphic video of the attack quickly spread across social media.

Carrie described the attack as a "totally inhumane act that nobody should condone.” Hong Kong will not be intimidated by violence, Lam stressed, adding that the demonstrators "will not succeed in securing their demands.”

She also acknowledged an incident in which a police officer shot a demonstrator, describing the act as an “isolated” event. Lam insisted that accusing police of widespread abuse was “unacceptable” and that authorities were doing their best “to return Hong Kong to normal as soon as possible."

The semi-autonomous territory has been rocked by protesters for months. Peaceful marches against a now-canceled extradition bill with Beijing have morphed into almost daily acts of violence and vandalism. The protesters, however, insist that they are victims of police brutality and are fighting for democracy.

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