A standoff between police and protesters in Mong Kok on Oct. 5. (Laurel Chor/Coconuts Media)
In a move that will surely annoy Chinese officials, a spokesperson for the US State Department said in response to a media inquiry that they were “deeply concerned” by reports of the beating of a Hong Kong protester at the hands of police officers yesterday.
The United States encouraged a transparent investigation into the matter, and renewed their calls for the Hong Kong government to “show restraint”, and for the people to continue protesting peacefully.
Answering a question from the press about if the US is concerned about whether reports of the Hong Kong police beating will cause the protests to drag on and further strain the patience of the authorities, they said that they certainly hoped this would not be the case.
The spokesperson also stated that the US government did not think that Hong Kong’s rule of law and status as a safe place for global commerce has been compromised.
They did say, however, that they have maintained close contact with Hong Kong and Chinese authorities and have conveyed their concerns.
Full text of the press briefing here.
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