Violent Mob Attacks Push Hong Kongers to Take Self Defense Classes

Hong Kong’s latest streak of violence has induced fear across the island and has led many to take up self-defense classes for protection.

At least 45 people were injured at a Yuen Long subway station on July 21, when a mob of white-clad men wielding sticks and metal bars started attacking people coming home from a protest. What started off as a series of demonstrations against an extradition bill in Hong Kong has escalated to greater issues between the city’s residents and the government.

There was notably very little police intervention at the time of the attack and those who were present allege the involvement of organized crime group, the triads. Free self-defense classes started cropping up across Hong Kong just days after, according to the Guardian.

Henry Chong and Eldad Jaeger, are two instructors running such classes. Chong is a sports therapist and karate expert, while Jaeger is a former member of the Israel Defense Force.

“Everyone needs to know how to defend themselves,” said Jaeger. His first class, held at Kowloon Park on July 23, was a two-hour session during which he taught around 40 people between the ages of 12 to 40.

In a separate class, Chong emphasized the importance of having basic skills to combat the likes of the mob which conducted Sunday’s attack. Women like Rose Chan are now arming themselves with these skills out of fear that future violence will erupt – and the police will once again be absent.

“Hong Kong doesn’t feel safe anymore,” Chan told the Guardian. “When the police fail to protect us, what choice do we have but to defend ourselves?”

The self-defense courses are indicative of a growing impression among residents that the city’s officials did not protect them when they most needed it. The delayed response by authorities induced both anger and fear. The South China Morning Post reported that not one police officer was visible as the mob ravaged the station.

The masked men who took over the train station attacked journalists, lawmakers, pro-democracy protesters and ordinary passengers alike. Photographs of blood-streaked floors and victims in grave conditions exhibited the severity of the attacks.

This has eroded trust among Hong Kongers. Many believe the reluctance of the police force to make arrests is part of a greater scheme between the once-reputable officers and the notorious triads. These allegations were sparked after Commissioner of Police Stephen Lo Wai-chung said the police had to “redeploy manpower” to other parts of the city while the violence in Yuen Long was taking place. When the police eventually showed up, much of the chaos was coming to an end.

A group of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy lawmakers released a statement calling the police force “the servant of the triads,” according to the Hong Kong Free Press.

Sonny Tsang, who was present at Jaeger’s self-defense class, said, “The most dreadful thing is the collusion between police and gangsters. It’s beyond condoning, it’s a collaboration.”

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