FT Weekend Magazine - 10.19.2019

14 FT.COM/MAGAZINEOCTOBER19/

hentheUnitedKingdomhandedoverHongKong

to China in 1997, Nick Wu wasbarelyfive years

old.Hegrewupinaconservative,working-class

familyinthe territoryand, on graduating from

university,foundajobinmarketing.Thissummer,

whenpro-democracydemonstrationserupted,he

becameafront-lineprotester.

Formorethanfourmonths,Wu,amild-man-

nered,bespectacled28-year-old, has spent his

weekendsinagasmaskandhelmet,fendingoff

teargas,peppersprayandpryingpolicecameras,

ashedodgesrubberbullets,bean-bagroundsand

beatings.Itwasn’talwayslikethis.In2014,while

atuniversity,heparticipatedin79daysofmostly

peaceful protests when pro-democracy activ-

istsoccupiedpartsofcentralHongKonginwhat

becameknownastheUmbrellaMovement.

“DuringUmbrella,wedidn’tescalateourpro-

testssowefailed.Itwasstupid–wesat,holding

hands,waitingforthepolicetotakeusawayone

byone.It’skindoffunnytolookbackonitnow,”he

says.“Webelievedinthesystemthen,wethought

ourvotescouldmakeadifference.Butnowwe’ve

learnt the system is stacked against us so we’ve

becomelesspeaceful.We’velostpatience.”

Wu isoneofhundredsofthousandsofpeople

caughtupinthismomentofglobalsignificance.

HisostensibleadversariesareHongKong’s police

andgovernment.But everyone knows that,

in reality,the protesters’actual foeisChina, a

bristling superpowerwith the world’slargest

army andafurious leadershipthathas likened

the demonstrationsto terrorism. The protests,

whichbeganinJuneandhaveplungedtheformer

British colony intoits worst political crisis in

decades, represent the biggest insurrection on

Chinesesoilsincethepro-democracymovement

in1989,whicheventuallyledtotheTiananmen

Squaremassacre,whentheChineseCommunist

partyordereditstroopstokillhundreds–perhaps

thousands–ofpeopleinBeijing.

ThestakesforChina’s future–andthewayin

which the world interacts with the superpower

–could hardlybegreater.IfWuand hisfellow

protesters prevail in wresting concessions for a

moredemocraticfutureforHongKong,itwould

indicatethatBeijingisreadytotoleratediversity.

Ifitcracksdownagain,asitdidin1989,itwillnot

onlyjeopardisetheviabilityofAsia’sfinancialhub

but also create anew crisis in relations between

Chinaandthewest.

Onethingiscertain:thisyouth-ledmovement

of people fightingon the streets for democracy

against theworld’smost powerful authoritarian

statehaschangedHongKongforever.Tomany,the

protesters’positionappearshopeless,asdemon-

strators,somenotyetteenagers,battleteargasand

evengunfire,oftenwithjustumbrellasandhard

hats.“Ifweburn,youburnwithus”hasbeenone

oftheirrallyingcries–anominousquotefromthe

dystopianteenagefictionseriesTheHungerGames,

inwhichyoungpeoplelaunchsometimessuicidal

missionsagainstanall-controllinggovernment.

Thisisamovementthateruptedfromaplace

of frustration and anger,rather than because

protestersbelievedtheycouldwinafightagainst

theChineseCommunistparty.“Idon’t thinkthe

Hong Kong people stand achance of winning

againstthegovernment–they’reexperts,theyhave

theresources,it’snotafairfight,”saysWu,thefirst

timeImeethiminAugust.HeallowedtheFTto

spendeightweeksfollowinghim,onconditionof

anonymitybecausehefearsarrest.

As the situationon the ground evolvesfrom

streetprotests into amovement,itisshaping a

distinctHongKongidentityamongitsfollowers,

whoincreasinglyseethemselvesasseparatefrom

mainlandChina.Beijingriskslosingtheheartsand

mindsofseveralgenerations–notjusttheyoung–

andfacesgrowing,ifnascent,callsforHongKong

independencedespiteChina’s vehementopposi-

tiontoanyseparatistmovementsonitssoil.

FortheChineseCommunistparty, HongKong’s

value liesinitbeing an internationalfinancial

centreand agatewayconnecting China and the

world.Buttherecentprotestshavehurtthisrep-

utation,withtheeconomyfacingitsfirstrecession

sincetheglobalfinancialcrisis,asbusinessconfi-

dence,touristnumbersandretailsalesplummet.

To date, morethan 2,500 people have been

arrested,theyoungestonly12yearsold,whilea

14-year-old and an 18-year-old have both been

shot.Although therehavebeennoconfirmed

deaths,violentclashesbetweenpoliceandprotest-

ershaveescalatedrecently.Lastweekend,thefirst

home-madebombwasallegedlydetonatedanda

policeofficerwasslashedintheneck.

Overrecentmonths,theFTspoketopro-democ-

racyadvocatesrangingfromfront-lineradicalsto

moderateprofessionalsandhigh-schoolstudents

aboutthisturningpointintheterritory’s history.

WhatbeganasprotestsinJuneagainstacontrover-

sialbillthatwouldhaveallowedcriminalsuspects

inHongKongtobeextraditedtomainlandChina

hasnowbecomeafightforgenuine,universalsuf-

frageandabattleoverthefutureoftheterritory.

Under aframework known as “one country,

twosystems”–designedtoallayfearsthatHong

Kong would be completelysubsumedbyChina

whenitwashandedoverin1997–Beijinggranted

the city ahigh degree of autonomyfor 50 years.

This includedfreedom of speech, assemblyand

protest.But as Chinese president Xi Jinping has

strengthenedpolitical control across the whole

countryoverthepastfewyears,manyinHongKong

havelostbeliefinthesystem.SincetheUmbrella

Movementended,itsleadershavebeenjailed,pro-

democracylawmakershavebeendisqualifiedfrom

thelegislatureandbusinessmenabductedbythe

ChineseCommunistparty.

“Wegrewupinfluencedbythe British

government, whichpromotesfreedom and

fairness,socialjusticeandtheruleoflaw,”saysWu.

“ButinChina,theChinesegovernmentpromotes

sloganslike‘WithouttheCommunistparty,there

would be no NewChina’, ideas whichare very

difficultforustogetbehind.It’sveryreasonable

theycan’tunderstandusandwhatwe’refightingfor.

Wehavedifferentconceptionsoffreedom,fairness,

justiceandhowagovernmentgainslegitimacy.”He

isdressedcompletelyinblack,theuniformofthe

protesters,aswesit in aJapanese bakery before

demonstrationsstart.By3pmthatday,mostofthe

nearbyshopsarealreadyshuttered.

On the first daythat police used tear gas this

summer,Wuandhisfriendwerestandingononeof

themainarteriesoutsideHongKong’s Legislative

Council. “Wewerejustbeing peaceful protesters

when,suddenly,wesawaguycarryingtwoboxesof

helmets.Weeachtookahelmetandfollowedhimto

thefrontline.Ilookbackandrealise–oh,howfarI’ve

alreadycome,”hesays.Hisphonebuzzes.Heglances

down,hesitates,thenanswers.It’shismum,asking

whereheis. The conversation is brief. “Every▶

Previouspages: ayoungwoman

protectsherself from tear gas in

HongKong last month.Facingpage

(clockwise from top left): protestersare

targetedwith tear gas in Admiralty,

central HongKong, on theday of a

generalstrikeonAugust5;Nick Wu,

photographedlast monthinthe

NewTerritories; blocking CCTV with

umbrellas; VickieLui, spokeswoman

forthe ProgressiveLawyers Group

‘WE’VELEARNT

THESYSTEMIS

STACKEDAGAINST

USSOWE’VE

BECOMELESS

PEACEFUL.WE’VE

LOSTPATIENCE’

NickWu,protester

W