One man was shot in the chest by police in Hong Kong on Tuesday during widespread and violent protests that coincided with celebrations across China marking 70 years of the Communist state. The incident marked the first time live fire was used by Hong Kong police in their attempts to quell unrest, which is now in its fifth month.
Speaking at a celebration and military parade in Beijing, Chinese President Xi Jinping said that China remains committed to "the strategy of peaceful reunification" and to "one country, two systems," the governing framework established after the Hong Kong handover in 1997.
"No force can ever undermine China's status, or stop the Chinese people and nation from marching forward," Xi said at the National Day ceremony in Tiananmen Square, adding that China will "maintain lasting prosperity and stability" in Hong Kong.
<i>A portrait of President Xi Jinping during a parade to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the founding of Communist China in Beijing. Photo Credit: Mark Schiefelbein/AP/Shutterstock</i>
Unrest in Hong Kong first broke out in June in opposition to legislation that would have permitted extraditions to mainland China. Residents, moreover, largely took to the streets to voice their objection to China's growing influence over the city's government and Hong Kong at large, which has enjoyed relative autonomy as a special administrative region. The unrest significantly escalated in August after anti-government protesters occupied the city's international airport and held large-scale demonstrations throughout Hong Kong, which has long been a major financial hub for global banking and commerce.
The extradition bill was suspended — and later fully withdrawn — but dramatic protests continued with Hong Kongers calling for democratic voting rights and independent investigations into widespread reports of police abuse.
In Hong Kong on Tuesday, thousands of demonstrators marched peacefully through the city's major thoroughfares to air their grievances and mar National Day celebrations in mainland China. Several violent clashes, however, erupted between protestors and police, which resulted in the shooting of the young activist, who was 18-years-old.
"HK police is celebrating the [People's Republic of China] national day by shooting a young activist," Nathan Law, a leading activist, said on Twitter. "Big prize to communist party? Disgusting. Shame on the police."
Hong Kong police confirmed that the victim was taken to the hospital and, according to local media, remains in critical condition. Throughout the day Tuesday, police condemned "rioters" for starting fires, damaging property, and instigating violence. Authorities also urged all residents to stay indoors and find safe spaces.
Joshua Wong, one of the most prominent pro-democracy activists and politicians, said on Twitter that "on China's National Day ... HK fallen into a de facto police state" and that "paramilitary security forces completely took over this city."
<i>Police clash with anti-government protesters in central Hong Kong. Photo Credit: Vincent Yu/AP/Shutterstock</i>
The unrest in the streets of Hong Kong were in stark contrast to the military procession in Beijing. Xinhua, China's state-run news agency, reported that the parade consisted of 15,000 personnel, 580 pieces of armament, over 160 aircrafts, and new, advanced intercontinental nuclear missiles. Fireworks later lit up the sky as entertainers performed for thousands of festival goers.
"At this very moment, Chinese people of all ethnic groups and all the sons and daughters of the Chinese nation at home and abroad take pride in and joyfully give our best wishes to our great motherland," Xi added in his remarks.
Carrie Lam, Hong Kong's embattled chief executive, was in Beijing to attend the National Day celebration.
By end of day Tuesday, over 180 people were arrested and 25 police officers were injured, the South China Morning Post reported citing police chief Stephen Lo. It has been “one of Hong Kong’s most violent and chaotic days," Lo said.
Jessie Woolley-Wilson, President and CEO of DreamBox Learning, joins ChedHER to discuss how technology is transforming the way the world learns, and her career journey as a leading woman of color in the tech industry.
Chicago schools opened their doors again following a dispute between the teachers union and the city over as the omicron variant continues to surge, but the safety issues they fought over weren't just limited to the Windy City. Dr. Bayo Curry-Winchell, family medicine and urgent care doctor, joined Cheddar in discussing concerns of parents, teachers, and students as schools try to operate amid COVID and noted what she's been observing as the number of infections among children rises. "I am seeing them contract the illness from so many different aspects," she said. "It could be from a fellow classmate. It could be from a parent. All of those things really play in the effect of transmission as well as contracting the illness."
One startup is working to reverse climate change one seed at a time. Terraformation is a global forest accelerator that provides tools, training, financing, and business support to help scale forest restoration projects worldwide. Forests naturally absorb carbon and Terraformation says that reforestation is a safe, low-cost, and scalable solution to the climate crisis. Yee Lee, VP of growth at Terraformation, joins Cheddar Climate to discuss.
Tony Horton, fitness guru and creator of the famous P90X workout joins Cheddar News to discuss how people can stay focused and maintain fitness in the new year.
Meet Corrine Tan, American Girl’s 2022 Girl of the Year. Corrine is the first doll of Chinese descent from the company, debuting in response to a rise in hate crimes against the Asian American community. Jamie Cygielman, president and general manager of American Girl, spoke to Cheddar about the long development of the character. "As the pandemic began we started to see a lot of anti-Asian sentiment across the country," she said. "We sort of blended all of these stories together to create Corinne, an outline for Corinne, and then partnered with the wonderful author Wendy Shang to help tell that story to our fans." Cygielman also touched on linking up with AAPI Youth Rising, donating $25,000 for education efforts.
Janet Phan, founder of Thriving Elements and author of 'Boldly You,' joins Cheddar News to discuss the importance of being a mentor and how her organization is helping the next generation of STEM leaders.
Daniel Freedman, co-CEO of Burnalong, joins Cheddar News to talk about how Burnalong is helping companies support its staff and prevent workplace burnout.
Dave Epstein, meteorologist and contributor to The Boston Globe, joins Cheddar News to discuss the arctic blast hitting the Midwest and Northeastern area.
Decorated skier Lindsey Vonn did not hold back when touching on mental health in "Rise," her new memoir. "My mental health is definitely part of my story," she said. "Now I'm just thankful that this conversation is so much more talked about — Simone Biles, Naomi Osaka, Kevin Love, Michael Phelps, all have been outspoken about it." She noted that she felt happy that readers, particularly kids, get to see a vulnerable side to her in the book. The gold medalist also went on to note what she's most looking forward to watching in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
