A group of Hong Kongers, including residents, lawmakers and experts, have strongly condemned the stabbing of lawmaker Junius Ho, calling on each and every resident to stand up and sever ties with violent protesters.
Junius Ho, a prominent member of the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), was hospitalized after being attacked by a knife-wielding man at 8:44 a.m. local time on Wednesday.
The video shows a man handing Ho a bunch of flowers and chatting before taking a knife from his bag and stabbing Ho in the chest, shouting abusive words and calling him "human scum."
This was not the first time Ho was targeted by anti-government protesters. In July, his parents' gravestones were vandalized in the cemetery located in the Tuen Mun district.
Ho said in a statement on Wednesday that "black forces" were targeting pro-establishment candidates and incumbents running for seats in Hong Kong's legislature, vowing to "remain courageous and fearless."
So far, at least six candidates have been targeted, said Wong Kwok Ping, a former LegCo member.
No more condonation
On Thursday, large crowds of Hong Kong residents and pro-establishment camp supporters took to the street to express their strong anger and condemnation over increasing violent attacks against some candidates.
Appealing for zero-tolerance on violence, they demanded the government and police to pledge every effort to ensure the fairness and safety of the upcoming election.
"This is a planned, purposeful assassination (attempt)," Willy Fu, secretary general of Hong Kong Legal Exchange Foundation, said.
"Our society does not tolerate this kind of violence," Fu said. "It is the time for us all to cut ties with violent protesters."
Ma Fung-kwok, a senior Hong Kong lawmaker, also told a China Media Group's reporter that the murder attempt was an act of intimidation aimed to silence the voices in society.
"People will be scared to voice their support for the government after the stabbing incident," Ma said.
"Where is fairness and the rule of law if such acts of intimidation continue?"
"I hereupon call on all residents to stop making up excuses to cover these rioters," another LegCo member said. "If we continue to condone violence, we will eventually perish by its consequences."
Shrinking freedom
Other local lawmakers and experts have also expressed worries over the shrinking freedom of speech in the city amid prevailing violent acts conducted by the "pro-democracy" protesters.
For the past months, radical protesters vented their anger by smashing and vandalizing local branches of Chinese enterprises and businesses, such as the Bank of China, Xinhua News Agency and Xiaomi, to name a few.
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They also beat up innocent passersby who don't support their political views and resorted to using more deadly weapons — hurling knives, bricks, hammers, metal poles, petrol bombs and firing slingshots, at police.
One policeman had his neck slashed with a knife last month.
Protesters' illegal and violent acts showed no sign of abating after the HKSAR government formally announced the withdrawal of the fugitive bill.