Hong Kong Police ‘Trapped in the Middle’ by Polarizing Extradition Bill

Hong Kong Police ‘Trapped in the Middle’ by Polarizing Extradition Bill
Police stand guard as protesters display placards during a demonstration against a proposed extradition bill near the government headquarters in Hong Kong on June 14, 2019. Hector Retamal/AFP/Getty Images
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HONG KONG—Several senior Hong Kong police officials feel caught between a rock and a hard place as city leader Carrie Lam tries to ram through contentious extradition laws that have triggered violent clashes between police and protesters.

Police fired tear gas, bean bag rounds and rubber bullets at young protesters who gathered this week around the Chinese-ruled city’s legislature and government headquarters in the tens of thousands.