Black terror: The real threat to freedom in Hong Kong

Many people in Hong Kong have been forced into silence. People are beaten by gangs for voicing their opinions; children are pressured into conformity by radical students and teachers at school to attend illegal demonstrations; sons and daughters of police officers are bullied with their personal information being posted online.

Never heard such a story? Gu's experience tells why.

When Gu filmed the gang beating, there were dozens of other cameras by his side. But some Western and local media outlets just shrugged it off, as they did with numerous other one-sided gang beatings, as "a scuff between people with different opinions."

One of the preconditions for freedom and democracy to flourish is freedom from fear.

The rioters have taken that freedom away from Hong Kong's other residents. In doing so, they have shown what is the real threat to democracy and freedom in Hong Kong.