Hong Kong educators, political figures urge students to shun violence

Hong Kong educators and political heavyweights on Wednesday urged students to stay away from violence, and asked schools and teachers to take a clear stand against violence.

They made the remarks after an 18-year-old pipe-wielding radical was shot by a police officer in self-defense during a violent assault on Oct 1.

The Hong Kong Federation of Education Workers urged students to renounce violence, while extending its regards to the injured high school student.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the federation condemned people which incited students to violence as a means of expressing their views.

What happened on Oct 1 has validated concerns that students were talked into committing violent acts. The federation called on schools, teachers and parents to join hands in protecting young people.

Violent protests broke out in multiple locations in Kowloon, Hong Kong Island and the New Territories on National Day. Radical protesters set fire in the streets, vandalized various properties and attacked the police.

At 4 pm in Tsuen Wan, a police officer was seen wrestled to the ground by a gang of protesters. Another officer, in an attempt to save his colleague, fired a live round at the 18-year-old radical who was attacking him with a iron pipe, despite repeated warnings. The man, shot in the shoulder and rushed to hospital for treatment, is reported to be in stable condition.

Also on Wednesday, Vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Leung Chun-ying backed the police's decision.

"The man who was shot is a rioter, not a student passerby, not even a student wounded by a stray bullet in class," Leung said.

Leung urged the education sector to take a firm stand against violence to protect youngsters. Otherwise, they are misleading young generations by their ambivalent attitude towards violence, Leung said on his social media page.

He noted the protests, sparked by the now-withdrawn extradition law, have deteriorated into aimless riots which have gone out of control.

He stressed violence is never a solution and cautioned young people to not fall victim to manipulation.