The almost five months of protests have deepened the political divide across Hong Kong. One solution the government seems to think will solve the current crisis is applying for interim court injunctions. Last Friday, the government filed one to stop people from doxxing police officers and their families. And on Thursday night, the court held an urgent meeting when the government filed another to stop people willfully publishing online or via messaging apps any material that promotes, encourages or incites the threat of violence. The government specifically named two popular platforms: LIHKG and Telegram. Joining me now to talk about these issues is Sharon Hom, Executive Director of Human Rights in China and Professor of Law Emerita of the City University of New York. She testified as a witness on 17th September at the Congressional-Executive Commission on China in Washington DC, where a hearing was held to examine the impact of the ongoing protests on Hong Kong and the future of U.S.-Hong Kong relations.

The current anti-mask law does not apply to police officers. In the ongoing protests, officers not only wear full protective gear, many mask their faces and don’t display numbers or warrant cards that would identify who they are. The force acknowledges that the rift between the police and many members of the public is worsening, with officers and their family members having their personal details exposed by doxxing and being subjected to malicious attacks on the internet.
They say they want more protection. But journalists and protesters are facing identical online threats.