In a bid to showcase 'patriotism', Hong Kong police to switch to Chinese-style march drill

In a major shift and what comes as an attempt to showcase officers "patriotism," Hong Kong's police force will switch from British marching drills to the goose-stepping style marching drills which are usually seen on the Chinese mainland. While speaking to AFP, the police said that the force has "actively planned for the full rollout of Chinese-style foot drills in order to show patriotism and foster love for our motherland and Hong Kong."

This style of marching requires officers to kick straight-legged in a robotic manner. 

This was first used by Prussian soldiers and has since then become a prominent trait of authoritarian regimes such as Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union and the People's Republic of China.

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Staff from China's People's Liberation Army in Hong Kong have been teaching the officers this technique since February 2021. Also, the technique was first publicly demonstrated by the officers on April 15 during National Security Education day. 

This is not the first time that officers will be using a different style of marching. On several occasions earlier, like ceremonies and parades, the officers have goose-stepping. However, now, it will become a part of officers' daily routines from July 1. Not just police officers but firefighters will also make a similar switch before the end of the month. 

The Hong Kong police college will also host several workshops for frontline officers to teach them goose-stepping and flag-raising in the second quarter of this year. 

(With inputs from agencies)