Over the course of time that I have been in Hong Kong, the protests have become more violent. Having the right to protest and voice one's opinion is something that the people of Hong Kong have the legal right to do. The process for holding a demonstration requires that the organizers get permits for the demonstration and that it remain peaceful. Once the protests get violent, the police are then expected to step in and break up the protest before people are injured or property is damaged. As things have gotten more violent, the police have had to step up their methods for breaking up a protest, which has led to protesters getting injured. This brings up another difference in perspectives.
From my standpoint, the police are doing their job to ensure safety of the public, but from the eyes of those involved in protests, the actions of the police may make it look like they support integration into mainland China. This has led to a mistrust of the police by citizens of Hong Kong who favor independence. The police, on the other hand, would likely assert that they are just doing their job to the best of their ability and trying to prevent further damage and injuries due to violence.
Differences in perspective can really affect how someone approaches a situation. In the case of what's happening in Hong Kong right now, I think that both sides could benefit from taking a moment to try and understand where the other side is coming from. While the opinions of the local population are in conflict with one another, being able to recognize where the other side is coming from in any argument can help to find a compromise that satisfies all parties.
