Anti-government protesters in Hong Kong have rushed to publicize photos and have seemingly edited videos of an officer holding a rifle to support their narrative of police brutality in response to recent riots in the city.

However, it was soon discovered that the protesters conveniently ignored crucial facts about the circumstances behind their camera.

The video footage and interviews with a police association leader on July 31 showed that the safety of the officers was seriously threatened by violent protesters who surrounded and threw objects at them, meaning the officer was legally justified to raise his weapon as a warning.

The episode took place outside a police station in Kwai Chung on the night of July 30, when hundreds of radical protesters illegally gathered, blocked the doors and constantly provoked officers. Police officers emerged to disperse the crowd, and that was when the incident occurred.