Hong Kong rioters target organizations linked to Chinese mainland
By Ge Yunfei, Liang Qipeng
Asia;
03:35

As the weekend erupted into another round of violence and chaos, rioters had precise targets for venting their anger – anything related to the Chinese mainland.

Their latest focus was the Hong Kong branch of Xinhua, China's national news agency. 

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On Saturday afternoon, rioters smashed the office's glass windows and walls, and threw petrol bombs into the lobby. 

It was the first time in over four months of protests that a media organization from the mainland came under attack.

Many mainland reporters expressed concerns over their safety of working in Hong Kong under such circumstances.

Anti-government protesters smashed windows and vandalized Xinhua News Agency office in Hong Kong, China, November 2, 2019. /Xinhua Photo

Anti-government protesters smashed windows and vandalized Xinhua News Agency office in Hong Kong, China, November 2, 2019. /Xinhua Photo

After the attack, Xinhua News Agency and the Hong Kong government both released statements, strongly condemning the violence by rioters.

But the news organisation wasn't the only target. As a global financial center, Hong Kong is an essential place for Chinese banks, like ICBC, China Construction Bank, Bank of China, etc..

Lihkg.com, a Reddit-like online forum that is very popular among protesters, has posted a list of all the China-venture banks in Hong Kong for the convenience of rioters. And many of these banks have endured vandalism for months.

A screenshot of the list of China-venture banks posted on Lihkg.com.

A screenshot of the list of China-venture banks posted on Lihkg.com.

Fifty-eight-year-old Yvonne Yuen is a local resident working at the China Construction Bank. She says fear is now spreading among her colleagues.

She added, "for myself as an employee of Chinese company, I'm scared, because we have been pointed out by the rioters to attack. We're very sad. We're just doing business here. We're attacked just because we're a Chinese company. We provide jobs and serve the community. We don't express any biased views.  I don't know why."

Even international chains like Starbucks and Genki Sushi have not been spared.

Protesters attacked those stores after a family member of the local franchise owner likened the protests to riots and voiced support for the authorities.

As Hong Kong slides into an economic recession, the continuing attacks on businesses are only deepening the effects of this chaos.