Comparing my personal experience from last summer, I have to say that the level of violence presented by @hkpoliceforce is much higher over the last few weeks. Journalists and lawmakers are now targets of these violent treatment too. None of them were there illegally. https://twitter.com/lokinhei/status/1259499101856468993

The particular scene above captured democratically elected lawmaker Roy Kwong being violently pushed to the ground then subdued with several geared officers jumped on him, including one that used his knees to press against his neck.

Other disturbing new trends include journalists being pepper sprayed without any prior warning and then threatened not to use Facebook Live while police were violently rounding up more peaceful protesters.

Last year when I was reporting from the front line, police would normally refrain from immediately unleash violence against journalists and broadcasting or photographing the development would not be immediately met with “punishment,” apart from some instances.

The rapidly deteriorating situation on the front line over the last few weeks highlight the increasing level of arbitrary violence that @hkpoliceforce has been “allowed” to use without any concerns from their side. This is a very scary development that highlights ...

... the risks that lawmakers, citizens and journalists have to take in order to survive in these protests, which should have been reasonably low-risk in the past in Hong Kong.