by Shane Trejo, Big League Politics:

This is happening as the Chinese communist party celebrates its 70th year in existence.

A Hong Kong protester was hit by a live round and wounded in the chest today, as the freedom protests in the city become more violent.

A protest group, Demosisto, posted a video on social media that seemed to show a law enforcement official pointing a handgun at the chest of a protester point blank and firing it.

The video can be seen here from different angles [viewer discretion is advised]:

This video captures the moment a police shot a live round at extremely short distance into a protestor’s chest.

Source: HKUSU Campus TV#HongKongProtests #hkpolicebrutality pic.twitter.com/13d7SDwFDa

— antiELAB (@anti_elab) October 1, 2019

Police pull the gun at close range and shot at the protestor in the chest.#hongkongprotest #chinazi #prayforhk #teargas #HumanRights #cityu #protest #FreedomHongKong #StandwithHK #StandWithHongKong #antielab #反送中 #홍콩시위 #weconnect #勇武 #抗爭 #hongkong #催淚彈 #riotpolice pic.twitter.com/MnXq0GR3he

— Editorial Board CityUSU (@cityusuedb) October 1, 2019

A police official validated what was seen on video, and confirmed that a police officer discharged a gun in the Tsuen Wan area, and a protester was stricken as a result. The victim is reportedly fighting for his life at the Princess Margaret hospital in Kwai Chung in critical condition.

Although officers had fired warning shots into the air during other protests, this is the first time a protester has been shot with a live round by police since the freedom protests kicked off in June.

The Hong Kong Hospital Authority has said that, in addition to the man in critical condition, 15 others had been hospitalized with injuries as a result of the day’s clashes. The protests were particularly lively to make a statement to China during the 70th anniversary of the communist party coming into power.

The Civil Human Rights Front, an organization that has organized some of the largest freedom rallies throughout Hong Kong, urged protesters to dress in black and treat the anniversary as a “day of grief.”

“Today we are out to tell the Communist Party that Hong Kong people have nothing to celebrate,” said activist Lee Cheuk-yan, who led the central march.

“We are mourning that in 70 years of Communist Party rule, the democratic rights of people in Hong Kong and China are being denied. We will continue to fight,” he added.

President Donald Trump actually congratulated China for their anniversary in a tweet earlier today.

Read More @ BigLeaguePolitics.com