Brutally Attacked
In a video Toby sends us he is talking about his family and mentions in passing that he was arrested last year. Wait! Arrested? We watched the video again just to make sure we understood him correctly and asked him afterwards how come this had never come up in one of our countless conversations:
Because if I give too many details I could easily be identified
…which is why we can’t go in to the details of the when and where. But Toby was willing to share the what with the public:
The police handcuffed me in bed throughout the detention time
I was on my way home after protesting when I and a bunch of other people I didn’t know got severely beaten by the police. My injuries were so bad that I had to be brought to the hospital
The police followed the ambulance and then arrested me in the emergency room
That sounds awful. But why did they attack you in the first place?
They later accused me of unlawful assembly which is absolute nonsense since I was alone at that time. Like I said, that was already after the protests when I was on my way home
Where did the police take you then?
I spent the detention time in the hospital because my injuries were pretty bad
The police handcuffed me in bed throughout the detention time
They used metal handcuffs connected with long wires to lock me down
The handcuffs were connected to a leash
I felt terrible like a robber or a murderer to deserve that sort of detention
That sounds absolutely traumatizing. Are you fine talking about it?
It’s ok. I talk openly about it to people
But did they eventually take you to prison?
In private the doctors and nurses told me that they would help me
They knew that if I would had to go to prison I would be severely beaten
So they told the police that I have to stay longer in the hospital because of my injuries
So I actually never had to go to prison
I found someone to pay my bail and after that I was free
So you don’t have to fear any consequences?
They said that the case is not over. If they find evidence they will immediately arrest me and take me to court
Does that unsettle you? Even though, as you said, you haven’t committed a crime?
I was afraid but it’s fine now
We have to accept the new reality that the police are against every Hongkonger who pursues freedom and justice
Toby lives together with one of his parents in Hong Kong. Their political views couldn’t differ more greatly. The parent is a supporter of the CCP and the Hong Kong police. Toby says that this generational conflict occurs in a lot of families. Toby’s arrest put an additional strain on his relationship with his parent.
Does it hurt you that after all you’ve been through that your family still supports the police?
But my case isn’t the worst. I’m still loved and am considered as a part of the family
In some cases the parents wouldn’t even show up after their kids were arrested
They wouldn’t find lawyers for their kids
I have rarely mentioned to my family what exactly happened
At the hospital one of my parents saw my injuries and said: wow they’ve beaten you so hard
Yes but we skipped political topics for like a month. I spent several days in the hospital and he came to visit me every day