Hong Kongers Protest Beijing Professor Calling Them “Dogs“

"Many Hong Kong people are dogs," these are the words of Beijing University professor Kong Qingdong. On a live webcast program broadcast on January 19th, he was addressing Hong Kong citizens' spreading viral videos of mainland Chinese tourists eating on the Hong Kong subway.

Kong’s comments caused an uproar in Hong Kong. On Chinese New Year’s Eve, a group of about 150 people gathered in protest outside the Chinese regime’s Liaison Office. They vented their anger at Kong’s comments.

[Mr. Chan, Hong Kong Citizen]:
"He has done something that splits the Chinese people, this is something that both gods and men condemn. I hope people will condemn him in speech and writing, this type of person shouldn’t be let off. At a bare minimum, he should be told to apologize, but at the same time, he should be fired. This kind of person is a disgrace, he is teaching Chinese people to be bad."

Others took it as an opportunity to voice their dissatisfaction at single party rule in the Mainland.

[Hong Kong Citizen]:
"It is because of single party rule that this person, Kong Qingdong, would dare to say this kind of thing. If there were no Communist Party, would this hired thug of the regime dare to say this kind of thing?"

Hong Kong Open Magazine Executive Editor Tsai Yung-mei says this isn’t the first time Kong has attacked people in Hong Kong.

[Tsai Yung-mei, Executive Editor, Hong Kong Open Magazine]:
"The CCP backs up Kong Qingdong. He is just a CCP thug. He smears every individual—even newspapers or news reporters who dare to criticize the Chinese regime. He vilifies others as traitors, using his words as a club that he has to strike at people."

This Hong Kong citizen links Kong’s comments to a wider phenomenon of pressure coming from the Mainland, which is eroding Hong Kong’s culture and moral values.

[Mr. Chan, Hong Kong Citizen]:
"The situation in Hong Kong society is gradually going downhill. Because of pressure from the North, Hong Kong’s local culture is being gradually wiped out, it is not just this one thing, it is already at a critical point."

Hong Kong is ruled semi-independently under the one country two systems policy, yet residents feel the influence of the Mainland is growing increasingly stronger in Hong Kong society.