3M gas mask and filters used by Hong Kong protesters
Taiwan’s tear gas mask stocks running out
Demand from Hong Kong protesters and civilians fearing tear gas sees supplies run low in Taipei
After helmets and balaclavas, face masks with air filters have been flying off the shelves at stores in Hong Kong as the smell of tear gas fired by police drifts through the restive city, but stocks are running low.
In Kwai Fong, for example, a largely residential town in the New Territories, many streets and the train station still reek of tear gas after a police riot squad clashed with protesters inside the station concourse during a fierce skirmish on Sunday evening.
Now more Hongkongers, incensed by alleged police brutality, are turning to Taiwan to buy masks and filters. They say even if they do not join future demonstrations, they will need the items to protect themselves and their children as the police have shown no qualms about firing the irritating chemical substance at crowds.
Dealers from the 3M outlet in Taiwan told local newspapers they were doing a brisk trade thanks to orders for high-grade air filters from Hong Kong, and since July they had seen a surge in demand for high-end cartridge filters which help neutralize the effects of tear gas.Almost all stocks of the masks and filters have been depleted at 3M’s distributors in Hong Kong.