Hong Kong protesters target Chinese PLA soldiers with laser pointers

香港示威者用雷色光筆瞄準中國解放軍

Incident occurred in East Kowloon during protest march on Sunday


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — In Hong Kong on Sunday (Oct. 6), protestors in Kowloon marched past the garrison for China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and used laser pointers to target the Chinese soldiers and security cameras guarding the compound.

In response to the laser pointers, the PLA soldiers on the roof of the garrison displayed a yellow warning flag and cautioned the protesters in Cantonese that they will be responsible for any consequences of their actions. According to CNA, this is the first time in almost five months of unrest that protesters have had direct interaction with the PLA troops in the garrison.

The main PLA headquarters in Hong Kong is located on Hong Kong Island next to the Central Government Complex. However, the PLA maintains several small garrisons throughout the Special Administrative Region (SAR). The incident involving the laser pointers occurred at the East Kowloon PLA garrison.

Soldiers guarding the compound declared that protesters were in violation of the law and that they were likely to face prosecution. The incident occurred during a protest march through the area. CNA reports that the protesters did not linger and that the situation did not escalate beyond the warning.

Elsewhere in Hong Kong, serious violence took place throughout Sunday. Four people were admitted to hospitals after 7:00 p.m. with injuries sustained during protest activities.