A male police officer tackled a 12-year-old girl in Hong Kong and pinned her to the ground during anti-government protests on Sunday, Sept. 6.

Footage of the incident was shared widely online as an example of police using excessive force.

A young girl of school age was just cornered by riot police & proceeded to run away, before being viciously wrestled to the ground, kicked & pinned down by several police officers.

I wish I could say this isn’t normal in Hong Kong today, but it is.

Vid: HKUST student reporters pic.twitter.com/LjaobRN2IB

— Jack Hazlewood (@JackHHazlewood) September 6, 2020

Watch how the Hong Kong police treated this frightened girl who was only walking on a shopping street.#FreeHongKong#StandWithHongKong pic.twitter.com/8rwoRoYRqd

— Nathan Law 羅冠聰 (@nathanlawkc) September 6, 2020

The young girl was not among nearly 300 people arrested that day, but images of her being manhandled on the streets of Mong Kok angered advocates for women’s and children’s rights.

What scene showed

The scene involving the 12-year-old girl was caught on video and circulated online.

At least two videos from different angles showed her trying to run from police on Sai Yeung Choi Street South.

But one officer grabbed her and pinned her to the ground with his knee after she bolted.

Others rushed in to subdue her.

She was later fined for violating social-distancing rules, along with her brother.

It is not known why she ran in the first place.

Police explanation

In a statement released later, police said she was acting “suspicious”, SCMP said.

A police force insider said the girl and her brother were briefly held, along with six others, after repeated warnings to disperse.

However, the girl gave a different version of events during press interviews.

She said she was merely there to buy painting tools.

More police force used

Police estimated about 1,000 people took part in the illegal protest, SCMP reported.

A total of 289 arrests were made.

Another force insider said officers adopted a strategy of intervening more quickly and taking resolute action to stop large crowds from forming on Sunday, SCMP reported.

Mass arrest was “appropriate” and “necessary”, the insider said, as well as in accordance with prima facie evidence.

During the rally in Kowloon on Sunday, police unleashed rounds of pepper balls and pepper spray.

Plain-clothes officers wrestled demonstrators to the ground, as protesters threw water bottles at police wielding batons who went after those in the crowd.

The response has been taken as a show of extra force during a disturbance much smaller than what regularly occurred during 2019's social unrest.

Earlier incident

During a previous rally on Aug. 31, officers had knocked over a pregnant woman just a few blocks away.

She was dragged to the ground on Argyle Street by a group of officers and hit by pepper spray being used near her.

Police later said officers were unaware she was pregnant, and they were deeply concerned about the incident, South China Morning Post reported.

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