中國媒體持續抹黑香港爭民主示威者！中宣部主辦、國務院新聞辦代管的英文報章《中國日報》香港版，周一晚在臉書（Facebook）貼上美國911恐怖攻擊事件資料照片，聲稱香港狂熱的反政府人士計劃在9月11日發動大型恐襲，手段包括炸輸氣管、無差別攻擊非廣東話人士及「燒山」。文章同時貼出聲稱是來自Telegram群組「焦土計劃」的一段文字，指該截圖的發言者揚言「每日殺幾個」藍絲（警察支持者），並在各大郊野公園設置共436個引火裝置，「時機一到全港燒山」。不少網友留言質疑真偽，指出截圖根本不像Telegram界面，質疑「消息來源」出處。
英文網媒Hong Kong Free Press創辦人葛朗迪（Tom Grundy）在Twitter分享帖文，批評《中國日報》此舉已正式「失去理智」。資深時事評論員劉銳紹則質疑訊息出處，官方製造的假消息往往令人啼笑皆非，「宣傳技巧相當低」，只會令人懷疑官方而非抗爭者。
香港抗爭者晚上在網絡討論區連登發聲明澄清有關流言，稱抗爭者於過去3個月以不割席、不譴責、不篤灰（告密）的理念行動，結合和理非和勇武派，不代表行動毫無底線，從沒有對其他無辜或不相關的市民作出無理武力行為，香港抗爭者經過7‧21與8‧31的事件，示威者跟同樣無辜受害的市民亦聯成一線，更不會選擇無差別攻擊、恐怖襲擊等手段作為反抗政府的手段。
並稱：若有流言指控將計劃無差別攻擊，都是抹黑或港共政權自編自導自演的戲碼，作為破壞和分裂運動的惡毒手段，在抗爭者的角度上，也不會愚蠢至斷送3個月來所得的香港以及國際支持，並譴責一切恐怖攻擊與非對準政權的行為。
China Daily, a Chinese state-run newspaper, faced extensive criticisms after it claimed in a Facebook post that Hong Kong protesters were planning mass terrorist attacks on September 11.
The Hong Kong edition of China Daily said “anti-government fanatics” were planning the attacks, illustrating the post with a photograph of the al-Qaeda attack on the World Trade Centre in New York.
When asked if the claim was factually accurate and whether it was ethical to publish it, the state-run outlet sent a screenshot – which it said came from a channel on the encrypted messaging app Telegram – in which a post said protesters should start killing people if their demands were not met.
Tom Grundy, Founder of Hong Kong Free Press twitted that “China’s state media are officially losing their minds”. The claim was incredulous to netizens, as they flooded the post with comments, accusing China Daily of making up a story to smear the protesters and stoke fear among pro-government faction.
In the evening, the Hong Kong protesters issued a statement to clarify the rumours, saying that the protesters in the past 3 months has never made unreasonable acts of force against other innocent or unrelated citizens. After the incidents of 21 July and 31 August, the protesters are aligned with the victims and will never use indiscriminate attacks, terrorist attacks and other means to rebel against the government.
They also said that if there are rumors alleging indiscriminate attacks, it is a smear or planned script by the Hong Kong government and its allies as a vicious means of sabotage and divisive act. The Hong Kong protesters will not be stupid enough to sacrifice Hong Kong and international support in the past 3 months, and condemned all terrorist attacks and attack not directed against the Hong Kong establishment.
