Hong Kong town of Yuen Long haunted by black and white colours of protesters and gangs amid extradition bill crisis
- Some feel judged or targeted for wearing black while others still tormented by images of white-clad mob beating up commuters
- Tensions continue in a city already rocked by weeks of protests, with calls to recognise problem as a breakdown in system and policy
She has since suffered from insomnia, haunted by the harrowing images of white-clad men with sticks and metal rods beating up commuters indiscriminately.
The housewife, 36, said she was furious at the mob and frustrated with police’s seeming inaction, while worrying for her son, aged three.
“I will avoid going out with him at night,” Chan said. “What will happen if we are on the train and people start beating others up? Will my son be traumatised for the rest of his life?”
Chan is among residents of the town in the New Territories still anxious over the unprecedented violence that erupted on Sunday night, as masked men in white stormed Yuen Long station, appearing to target protesters returning from the city centre who had earlier marched against the now-suspended extradition bill. In the chaos that ensued, the mob also attacked other commuters, especially those in black, the theme colour of demonstrators.
The city’s embattled police force has come under fire for not responding in a timely fashion.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the Hong Kong Red Cross had received at least 23 calls through its psychological support hotline from people who felt “frightened, angry, concerned and sad” about the attack.
