Tuesday 19 May 2020

Which is the fairer picture?

Fifteen leading protesters released on bail, yesterday. RTHK
SCMP, print edition, 19/5/20, page  B16
I never thought it was a smart move to arrest these 15 “veteran pro-democracy activists” because it would only be a gift to Beijing and HK government critics and embolden the protest movement. It’s not clear if it was prompted by Beijing, HK government or the police themselves. 
But back to the photos. People crop photos all the time. That’s no issue. Still, doesn’t the bottom photo above give rather more context? Media vastly outnumbering protesters. That’s the way it’s been for a while now. Not just yesterday, where it was only these fifteen bailees. Recent weekends at shopping malls around town a few dozen protesters are surrounded by hundreds of media. It’s the media that’s the story now, not the protesters.