“This is my choice, the right choice!” Police solidarity and power: some observations of police usage of social media

IN A WAY, the new media mobilizes and democratizes political participation. What we know less is how the new media also mobilizes participation in a counter-movement that defends police use of force and violence against the protesters in the sites of occupation. Some people speculated that police officers were ‘indoctrinated’, of which we had limited source of information for further investigation. However, thanks to our connections with the police force, we observed how, during the Umbrella Movement, junior police offi cers closely connected with one another via police forums and Facebook became bound together into a cohesive unit exuding solidarity. In the process, they shared articles arguing for the use of force and other related actions against the protesters.