Team News Riveting
Beijing usually leaps at the opportunity to highlight when liberal democracies stumble, and use those moments to bolster its claims that its authoritarian model is superior. The pro-Trump mob storming of the US Capitol on Thursday provided the perfect opportunity.
Words like “Karma,” “retribution” and “deserving” were frequently mentioned in Chinese netizens’ comments when they saw the latest episode Donald Trump supporters storming the Capitol, messing up House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office, clashing with police officers and looting items.
Much of the media coverage focused on connecting the reaction to the mob with the US’s support of the Hong Kong protests.
Chinese web users said they still remembered the distress and anger they felt when they saw rioters in Hong Kong storming the Legislative Council Complex, scrawling graffiti, smashing and robbing items. Instead of condemning the violence, US politicians hailed the “courage” of these mobs, Western media praised the “restraint” of the rioters, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi even called it a “beautiful sight.”
Now, this “beautiful sight” is taking place in the US, commented a Chinese netizen adding, “Pelosi can enjoy the beautiful sight – even at her office desk! For such a long time, US politicians called rioters ‘freedom fighters’ in other countries. Now, they finally have retribution!”
“It was like watching a thrilling action movie!” That was how Chinese netizens described the scenes early Thursday morning.
When a similar scenario happened in Hong Kong’s LegCo in 2019, some US politicians like Pelosi praised rioters in the city as fighters for freedom. This has inspired some talented netizens to come up with a slogan for US mobs to continue their protests.
“Five demands, not one less. Liberate the US, the revolution of our times,” they said, intimating five demands and slogans made by HK rioters to pressure the HK government.
The five demands include recognizing the Democratic Party cheated in the presidential election and denying that Biden is the new president; revoking the definition of “violence”; revoking the charges against the protesters; establishing a commission to investigate police violence and holding a second presidential election to ensure justice and fairness.
Chinese analysts said comments written by Chinese and other countries’ web users show that many people have been offended by the arrogance and bullying of US hegemony for a very long time, and they have seen enough double standards frequently applied by the US and its Western allies. This time, they have the right to “let off steam” by mocking the chaos in Washington.
