edit: I earlier said that this was the first time HK used teargas/rubber bullets, which is inaccurate. the important thing is that this is still violence, just because the US beats everyone in terms of sheer scale/frequency/intensity of police violence doesn't mean that this isn't police violence.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Hong_Kong_protests#/media...
Multiple sources also mention rubber bullets being used in '14 as well:
https://www.google.com/search?q=umbrella+revolution+rubber+b...
the NYT article also has:
"The use of rubber bullets represented a turning point in the police response and was the first time the government acknowledged using the nonlethal rounds in Hong Kong in decades. The police response following the protesters’ push toward the Legislative Council was noticeably more aggressive as peaceful protests became more pitched throughout the day."
So maybe the use of force hasn't changed vs 2014, but the government's brazenness has.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubber_bullet#Riot_control_use