Morale still high

Officer Au has been serving in the police force for 21 years and handled the illegal "Occupy Central" movement in 2014. "But the illegal, violent activities this time are tougher to deal with," said Au, deputy commander of a regional response contingent.

Rioters blocked roads, dismantled roadside railings, built barricades and attacked police officers with bricks, iron rods, corrosive liquids and petrol bombs. They even used slingshots to shoot arrows and steel balls at police officers.

Many police officers are also under huge pressure due to smear campaigns against them. Radicals spread rumors and adulterated photos on social media to smear police operations and accuse them of so-called "abuse of power," Au said.

On Aug. 22, the Hong Kong police presented clear evidence of adulterated photos and videos of police reactions to demonstrations. A photo of an officer hitting non-demonstrators with his shield had been widely used as proof of police brutality. Video footage later revealed that the officer was holding his shield to escort passersby out of the danger zone.

As a regional response contingent's deputy commander, Au said he would make proper rotations and deploy tactics based on received intelligence to make sure every district has sufficient police personnel to deal with the surprise attacks.

He reiterated that if demonstrators do not resort to violence, the police will not use force.

More than 200 police officers have been injured amid violence since early June, and 1,183 suspects have been arrested.

"Our morale is still high," Au said, "Without such morale, we couldn't have had handled so many emergency situations in such a short time."

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