They called them "Laser Guns." They were $5 pointers. 🇭🇰🔦 We investigate the arrest of student leader Keith Fong for buying 10 laser pointers. We break down the police narrative that transformed a common presentation tool into an "offensive weapon," sparking a legal war over the definition of intent versus the nature of an object.

1. The "Offensive Weapon" Shift: We analyze the arrest. Police claimed the lasers were high-powered weapons capable of burning skin. We explain how this arrest marked the end of the "presumption of innocence," establishing a precedent where carrying any everyday object (umbrellas, zip ties, lasers) could be prosecuted as possession of a weapon if the police simply said you intended to use it harmfully.

2. The Space Museum Rally: A protest of pure light. We expose the backlash. In response to a police demo showing lasers burning paper, thousands of citizens gathered at the Hong Kong Space Museum. We discuss how they created a massive, synchronized light show against the museum's dome, satirically asking, "Is the building on fire yet?" to prove the absurdity of the police claims.

3. The Surveillance War: Why did they really hate the lasers? We explore the tech. Beyond the legal argument, we discuss the tactical use of lasers to dazzle facial recognition cameras and police optics. We explain how this low-tech tool became the only effective shield against the city's high-tech surveillance state, making it a symbol of the "Cyberpunk" resistance.

The full list of sources used to create this episode can be found on our Patreon under https://www.patreon.com/c/Morgrain