Jackson Jambalaya

The best combat reporter in the world popped up in Hong Kong.  Michael Yon is on the scene where the Chicoms are battling freedom-loving Hong Kong citizens.  He provides periodic updates on his website but the real action is on his Facebook page.  He posted video of the Chicoms targeting journalists yesterday.  Their minions known as the Hong Kong police threw tear gas onto a fairly empty street, well, empty for all but some reporters.

Eye Dangers in Hong Kong Protests: Threats, Defenses, Realities

First, the threats:

1) Tear gas (it sucks)
2) Pepper spray (ditto)

3) Lasers everywhere -- thousands

4) Rubber bullets from police, and other less-lethal police projectiles including pepperballs fired from paintball guns by police

5) Occassional sling shot use from protestors (not much)
6) Air soft usage -- again, very few, but some

7) Ranbom projectiles such as one night protestors tossed small stones from an overpass at police and these rained down on my face

Now, the Defenses:

1) Naked eyes -- blinking
2) Glasses of some sort
3) Military grade protective eyewear
4) Goggles of some sort, such as scuba masks
5) Full face mask with helmet
6) Full protective mask for breathing and eyes
7) Laser protection

This is a difficult eye safety environment. Lasers. Chemicals. Projectiles. Night and day, often through rain or tear gas. Heavy rain. Heavy teargas. (Seldom both simultaneously.)

Additionally, protestors, journalists, and police, must operate various gear such as telephones for information, or camera menus for journalists, weapons for police.

Night and day.

Rain or shine, night or day, both indoors and out, often in high humidity and changing from highly airconditioned areas such as malls, straight onto hot, humid streets. Night and day, rain and shine, cool and hot.

Light conditions vary dramatically in short periods due to ambient lighting changes.

Many sorts of goggles have vents on the side -- such as do ballistic eyewear with open sides -- and are useless against teargas. You cannot wear a full mask all the time.

Bottom line: it is very difficult to keep your eyes covered and protected at all times.

As for laser protection, very few people wear this, and I sense that it is a matter of time before someone whips out a light saber and blinds people. Fact is, you cannot run around at night during teargassing while wearing laser safety glasses. Believe me. I tried it.

The threat and need matrix is not favorable to constant eye safety. Too many threats compete -- dark laser safety glasses mean you end up with smashed face from tripping during fighting. Any sort of eyewear quickly gets sweaty or has fogging or other problems, and makes difficult to use cameras or communications devices.

Anyway...as for as protective masks, I recommend something like a MIRA mask (excellent), or M50 (even a little better).

They eye threat is high and increasing.

For instance, watch this cop a couple nights ago run out and suddenly shoot right over my head. Those grenade luanchers belch out all kinds of nasy particles and pieces. I was wearing my mask so had no problems.

Also, check the video on my Facebook header. See all the lasers and fireextinguisher gunk. Not to mention humidity.

Big eye threats here. Some eyes already lost.

Watch the cop suddenly shoot right over our heads while I make video