new video loaded: She’s a Protester, He’s a Police Officer: In Hong Kong, Spouses Spar Too

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She’s a Protester, He’s a Police Officer: In Hong Kong, Spouses Spar Too

What happens when families find themselves divided across police barricades? As protests continue in Hong Kong, and distrust between the public and the police grows, the tension continues at home.

This is Sunny. She organized this rally on behalf of police relatives. More than three months of unrest have transformed the city. These Hong Kongers say they’re defending their freedoms from China. Confronting them are also Hong Kongers in uniform. Clashes mark almost every demonstration, no matter how peaceful it begins. And many Hong Kongers don’t blame protesters for the violence. They blame the police. As protesters scattered, ordinary people stepped in from the sidelines. The tension you witnessed doesn’t end here on the streets. It’s permeating neighborhoods, homes and the most intimate corners of society. We’re back with Sunny. She participates in the protests. But her husband is a cop who confronts demonstrators. Even though Sunny supports the movement, she sympathizes with the police. She says they’ve become stand-ins for a government that is unwilling to compromise. Sunny is putting up fliers for an activist group, people like herself, who have police officers in their families. The members of Sunny’s group are walking a fine line. They’re calling on the cops to tone down the aggression and at the same time, they want protesters to remember that the police are their neighbors, stuck in the middle. Many officers who feel conflicted don’t dare speak out They fear losing their jobs or being ostracized. Their only real choice is to quit. Cathy Yau was sworn in as a Hong Kong police officer in 2008. But in July as tensions escalated, and officers continued to use excessive force against protesters, she resigned. She has since decided to go public with her story. Now she’s announcing her campaign for City Council. If elected, she wouldn’t be able to grant protesters their demands. But her hope is that in her new position, she can better encourage others to heal their divided city. Sunny is organizing an upcoming rally with other police relatives. Sunny’s group leads the rally, marching new demands to police headquarters. [Protesters chanting] They’re calling for an independent inquiry into police misconduct and they’re insisting that the government take responsibility for the violence in the streets. No one here is under the illusion that their demands will be answered. But they hope they’re creating a space where people will come to listen.

She’s a Protester, He’s a Police Officer: In Hong Kong, Spouses Spar Too

By Cora Engelbrecht, Yousur Al-Hlou and Ainara TiefenthälerSeptember 3, 2019

What happens when families find themselves divided across police barricades? As protests continue in Hong Kong, and distrust between the public and the police grows, the tension continues at home.

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