
Hong Kong outcry after masked thugs launch attack - isaaafc
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jul/22/where-were-the-police-hong-kong-outcry-after-masked-thugs-launch-attack
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NicoJuicy
This is actually smart of mainland China, but it's ethically totally wrong.

Trying to sway people's opinions by blaming it on the protestors and forcing
their own violent protestors into that group. It's something I haven't thought
about before.

~~~
thinkingemote
It's literally the play book of police to infiltrate groups and if necessary
cause havoc. This occurs the world over. Some police have rules similar to the
rules of entrapment for more embedded actions (see the police in UK green
groups recently) where they can't directly cause trouble but they can provoke
and supporting. And this is what's documented and legally allowed! Ethically
the world thinks it's right.

Where it gets shady is where they cross the line. There is often reports of
protestors being arrested and showing their badge and going free...

Protestor groups do not have strategies to identify infiltrators especially
non violent groups.

Some groups explicitly allow trouble makers to flourish like the black bloc
where everyone wears black and mask to hide any trouble makers.

~~~
NicoJuicy
Is there a place to read the playbook, if documented?

~~~
clydethefrog
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agent_provocateur](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agent_provocateur)

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hker
Thugs-for-hire is actually a common tactic for suppressing dissent in China
[1] [2], and was used in the 2014 Umbrella protest [3].

[1]:
[https://www.researchgate.net/publication/322488668_Thugs_and...](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/322488668_Thugs_and_Outsourcing_of_State_Repression_in_China)

[2]: [https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/perspectives-on-
poli...](https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/perspectives-on-
politics/article/thugsforhire-subcontracting-of-state-coercion-and-state-
capacity-in-china/C53871B8B259B893E1D0B4E1985B764E)

[3]: [https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/11/04/chinese-govt-need-
hire...](https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/11/04/chinese-govt-need-hire-thugs-
exert-social-control/)

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fareesh
Sadly this seems to be becoming a common far-left tactic of the police being
ordered to stand down while masked assailants attack a crowd of people
espousing incorrect opinions.

~~~
malcolmgreaves
Far left? There's no far left actors in this story. China is an authoritarian,
single political party country with a mixed socialist and capitalist economy.

If you want to link them to a two-dimensional, simplified political spectrum,
they're closest to fascism.

