A major shift in Hong Kong’s police department comes as an effort to showcase officers’ ‘patriotism’ by switching from British marches to a goose-stepping marching drill that is usually used on the mainland. AFP reported that the police force has been planning to have officers practice Chinese-style foot drills so they can show their patriotism and foster a sense of love for Hong Kong and our motherland. This marching style requires officers to shuffle straight-legged in a robotic manner.
The first time this was used was by Prussian soldiers. It quickly became a characteristic of authoritarian regimes, like Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union and the People’s Republic of China. The officers in Hong Kong have been taught this technique since February 2021 by members of China’s People’s Liberation Army. Additionally, the officers demonstrated the technique publicly for the first time on April 15 during National Security Education Day.
This is not the first time that officers march differently. There have been several occasions when officers have goose steps, such as at parades and ceremonies. However, now, it will become a part of officers’ daily routines from July 1. In addition to police officers, firefighters will also make a similar switch by the end of the month. A number of workshops will also be held by the Hong Kong police college for frontline officers in the second quarter of this year to teach them goose-stepping and flag-raising.
Post Your Comments