Screenshot of the drill of Shenzhen police. Photo: Courtesy of Shenzhen police
A total of 12,000 police officers from Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong Province participated in a drill on Tuesday, attracting unusual online attention as the drill features emergency scenarios that resembles the ongoing riots in Hong Kong.
Shenzhen police said on Monday that the drill aimed to maintain social stability, enhance the morale of police forces, and prepare the forces ahead of 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.
All police forces, including branches in land, air and sea, participated in the drill.
However, the drill attracted unusual attention on Chinese social media as many netizens, who hold a grudge against recent riots in Hong Kong, said the drill can also call the attention of rioters in Hong Kong, and give Hong Kong police a tip about how to deal with the radical protesters.
According to video clips of the drill, people in the crowd simulating a mob were wearing red or yellow helmets, masks and black outfits. They constantly threw objects at the shield-holding police forces, and attacked them with wooden sticks.
To deal with such "violence," the police fired tear gas and sent police dogs to assist. They used a newly-developed cluster tear gas, which has wider coverage compared with traditional ones and stronger effect.
The crowd also pushed blazing carts toward police, who immediately put out the fire with fire extinguishers.
The drill was live broadcasted via many online media platforms.
The crowds' outfits, equipment and the manner in which they attacked the police were very similar to those of the radical protesters in Hong Kong, which prompted many Chinese mainland netizens to link it with the riots in Hong Kong.
Many suggested that this could send an intimidating signal to those rioters, and called on Hong Kong police to learn from the drill.
The live broadcast suffered from lagging streaming speeds from time to time as too many netizens were tuning in.
Hong Kong police are showing restraint in dealing with the radical protesters, and their efforts to safeguard the stability of the region are winning increasing support in the Chinese mainland.
Many mainland netizens, especially young people, who grew up watching Hong Kong crime movies and developed an admiration for Hong Kong police officers, took to social media to express their anger toward the radical anti-government protesters.
Media and the public have also been discussing whether or not the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) will be deployed to take over the handling of the situation in Hong Kong.
The Chinese military has been paying close attention to the developments in Hong Kong, particularly after the riots during which radical forces besieged the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), Wu Qian, a spokesperson of China's Ministry of National Defense, told a media briefing on July 24.
Responding to a question concerning how to deal with Hong Kong secessionist forces, Wu cited the Law of the People's Republic of China on the garrisoning of the HKSAR, which stipulates that the HKSAR government can request that central government allows the PLA to maintain social order and provide disaster relief when necessary.
