The police officers that have been called upon to be Hong Kong’s shock troops—firing and tossing tear gas canisters into crowds of protesting students, and soaking them with pepper spray—have come forward recently to express their frustration and regret.
Tens of thousands of students continue to ambulate through Hong Kong’s central business district each night, as police attempt to contain and repel them. The students are protesting recent moves by Beijing to limit Hong Kong’s ability to hold independent elections.
“Once, I felt I was the luckiest person in the world, because I could fulfill two of my childhood dreams at the same time,” wrote Arnold Wai, a member of Hong Kong’s auxiliary police force, on Facebook, on the evening of Sept. 28. “Before, I was very proud when I personally brought criminals to justice,” he said.
“However, I just phoned my superior tonight, quitting this job. I don’t want to be a political tool for someone,” he wrote, in a post on Facebook that was widely shared among Hong Kong Internet users.
Volunteer or reserve officers are called upon to assist at times of natural disaster or civil emergencies and support the regular force in crowd management duties, according to the official Hong Kong Police Force website. It is unclear whether Wai himself had been asked to perform those duties.
“People of Hong Kong, please believe in yourselves. The price could be high, but this is Hong Kong—it will succeed,” Wai added.
The remark was shared over 1,000 times on Facebook among friends and acquaintances.
