Internet users and some media in China were having a blast Thursday on social networks after the scenes of chaos on Capitol Hill, not hesitating to draw a parallel between Washington and the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.
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The former British colony was shaken in 2019 by a vast protest movement against Beijing’s deemed growing grip. Largely peaceful in its early days, the protest gave rise to outbursts, in particular when demonstrators entered the “Legco”, the local parliament.
On Twitter, although blocked in China, the nationalist tabloid Global Times publishes side by side photos of the intrusion into the Capitol by supporters of Donald Trump and others of Hong Kong protesters at Legco.
The English-language daily notes that the protesters in Hong Kong were described at the time as “heroes” by Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the American House of Representatives.
“It remains to be seen if she will say the same thing about the situation on the Capitol,” pretends to question the daily.
Throughout editorials, the Global Times readily attacks “Western-style” democracy and, on the contrary, defends the Chinese authoritarian “model” as more effective.
On the Weibo platform, the Communist Youth described the events in the American capital as “a beautiful spectacle”.
The topic was widely commented online and had over 230 million views.
“What happened at [Parlement local] Hong Kong repeats itself at the US Capitol, ”commented one Internet user.
By supporting pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong and condemning those in Washington, “the leaders of Western countries have shown double standards,” pleaded another.
The protest in Hong Kong was stifled in early 2020 by the confinements linked to Covid-19, then by the entry into force of a new law on “national security” accused of muzzling the freedoms of the territory.