Several readers have asked me recently about the difference between protesters and rioters in our coverage of the current unrest in Hong Kong.
Well, there is a big difference between the two. Protesting peacefully is a right that is recognised by Article 27 of the Macau Basic Law. Rioting is a crime that according to Article 297 of the Macau Penal Code is punishable by up to 15 years behind bars, while arson – such as by throwing Molotov cocktails at police officers, bystanders or passers-by – is punishable by up to 10 years’ imprisonment (Article 264).
As the www.officer.com website correctly points out, “Referring to rioters as protesters infers that their actions aren’t criminal when, in fact, they are.”Our factual approach to reporting means that we are calling a spade a spade: Protesters throwing petrol bombs and vandalising property are rioters, and that’s what we call them in our reports. Demonstrators who rally peacefully are protesters, period!
Harald Brüning
