The Global Times, a nationalistic state-run newspaper, has been an outspoken critic of Hong Kong, frequently complaining about Occupy Central as well as the recent protests against parallel traders and mainland visitors to the former British colony. So when an armed robbery at a luxury watch retailer in Kowloon happened in Hong Kong on March 13, this was the final straw.

An op-ed written by Ma Chao conflates the Occupy Central protests, the anti-mainland visitor protests, and this armed robbery to being all part of the same problem plaguing the city.

In his story titled “The spirit of Hong Kong’s rule of law has been lost to evil consequences“, Ma writes:

In connection with the anti-parallel trader conflicts that have happened in recent weeks in which tourists have been scared away from shopping, this has attracted violent criminals to commit robbery …The trend of ignoring the rule of law is spread through herd mentality, as understood from social psychology. With the illegal “Occupy Central” and violently driving away tourists, it’s no wonder that criminals should naturally become emboldened to steal something for themselves.

Unfortunately for Ma, almost immediately after this was published there was another armed robbery, this time in Wangfujing in Beijing. Coincidentally, this robbery also happened inside a watch store and the robber also fired a gun. Of course, if armed robberies are a direct result of pro-democracy political movements, then netizens were left a bit confused. Here are a few comments that were posted in a Beijing bulletin board:

射出的是寂寞:
Was this watch robbery in Beijing also done by the same robber that held up the watch store in Tsim Sha Tsui?

咩花名都用哂:
The Hong Kong campaign against smugglers has broken the rule of law and has affected the entire country of China, and has culminated in this robbery in Beijing. Strongly denounce independent Hong Kong violent criminals!

衝上含蕉:
Oh fuck, you can’t explain that no matter where you move the goalpost.

CSYCSY:
So, Beijing… One story, two doses…

M4A3E8:
Occupy Central has left behind a legacy of calamity.

林天溢:
The violent thugs of Occupy Central has rendered the Communist Party of China powerless, leading to a rampage of robberies. These robberies by your class of useless evildoers is very serious. And it’s because of you that sooner or later, a meterorite will crash into the Earth, causing the next ice age.

We’ll see how the next Global Times op-ed will incorporate the Beijing robbery as part of the greater malaise afflicting Hong Kong’s disrespect of the rule of law.