It has now been six months since the latest pro-democracy demonstrations in Hong Kong began, and the stakes are now higher than ever for both sides. The protestors’ resolve to resist Beijing’s commands has hardened and the Chinese government’s authorities in the city have sought to tighten their vice upon the demonstrators. The violence has become quotidian, and police brutality is now a new normal.
Aside from state-endorsed violence, Beijing is also employing more subtle coercive methods to discourage Hong Kong’s citizens from engaging in opposition to the regime. The authorities are employing what is being called “white terror”, including a form of persecution by paperwork which threatens the livelihoods of those who are taking part in the protests.
