As Hong Kong Protests Continue, China's Response Is Increasingly Ominous
https://www.npr.org/2019/08/13/750695968/as-hong-kong-protests-continue-chinas-response-is-increasingly-ominous
Beijing has encouraged conspiracy theories now popular within China that the protests were instigated and funded by the United States.
The week before, twelve thousand Shenzhen police turned out for a highly-publicized drill during which they simulated beating protesters with poles.