Hong Kong Protest ‘Pre-Recorded’ Warning Video Hints At Conspiracy Theory
There has been a series of large-scale demonstrations in Hong Kong protesting against the extradition bill put forth by the government.
These rallies have, despite their scale, remained largely peaceful.
But on Monday (1 Jul), the protest took a dark turn. Hong Kong’s Legislative Council Building was broken into and vandalised by protestors at around 9pm.
30 minutes later, the police released a video warning protestors to vacate the building.
However, netizens looked at the watch worn by the police officer issuing the warning and found that there was something amiss with the time displayed.
Instead of recording the warning when the protestors breached the building, it was recorded 4 hours before, assuming the time shown is accurate.
Police officer’s watch showed 5pm
In the warning video, the officer mentioned the break-in and the vandalism that occurred in the building. He also warned protestors to leave or risk facing “appropriate force” by the police.
But instead of focusing on his message, netizens ‘zoomed in’ on the time shown on the watch.
Assuming that the officer knew the right way to wear a watch, the time displayed was 5pm — 4 hours before the breach even occurred.
If he wore it the wrong way, it’ll be 11.30pm
Source
Police allegedly set a trap
So how could the man’s watch show 5pm when the breach occurred at 9pm?
Some believe that it was a trap by the police to shift global perceptions about the Hong Kong government.
Essentially, the theory goes that the police purposefully baited protestors to break into the building. The time on the video unintentionally proves that it was ‘pre-recorded’. Further accounts that the police hid in the building may convince others that it was all just a trap.
Additionally, they felt that by ‘allowing’ protestors to enter, the Hong Kong government showed that protestors were capable of ‘bad behaviours’, such as vandalism.
HK police say it’s for safety
So how did the Hong Kong police respond to the conspiracy theory?
They responded by saying that officers had already been defending the building for 8 hours and a temporary retreat was due to safety concerns.
A blackout caused by the protestors had led to fear of either the police or the protestors being trampled upon by the rush. The officers were also afraid that “toxic powder” will be used by the protestors on police.
HK protest may have caused police to be ‘watchless’
While both sides of the story seem plausible, a new image that surfaced on Tuesday (2 Jul) makes us question the validity of the police’s statements.
Another police officer is seen giving a speech, but this time without a watch.
Could this be a measure by the Hong Kong government to prevent future ‘plans’ to be debunked?
Only time will tell
Unfortunately, only time will tell. #PunIntended
Ultimately, we are unable to determine the source of the picture. It was posted on Reddit without any hint of the original post or video. Who knows, it could’ve been edited to prove the conspiracy theory.
Do you think the Legislative Council Building incident was all a ploy for pity? Let us know in the comments section.
Featured image from Facebook and Reddit.
