A4 TUESDAY, JULY 30, 2019
0 NHONG KONG — For nearly two
months, hundreds of thousands of people
have braved Hong Kong’s sweltering
summer heat in a series of mass rallies
against an unpopular bill that has come to
symbolize concerns about the encroach-
ment of the mainland Chinese govern-
ment on their semiautonomous region.
The city’s beleaguered leader, CarrieLam, has suspended the bill that would
have allowed extraditions to mainland
China and declared it “dead.”
But she has refused to formally with-
draw it or to meet the protesters’ other de-
mands, which include the establishment
of an independent commission to investi-
gate police conduct and the right to di-
rectly elect the region’s leader.
Mrs. Lam’s unwavering stance has
helped fuel protests that now occur regu-
larly, some of them escalating dramati-cally.
In recent weeks, protesters have
stormed the city’s legislative offices,
clashed with riot police officers at a luxury
shopping mall and surrounded the main-
land Chinese government’s offices in
Hong Kong.
We spoke to protesters as well as pro-
establishment activists and others who
have been otherwise caught in the cross-
fire, to hear about their experiences.
These are excerpts from their answers.Henry Fung, 17
A high schooler and antigovernment protester who
believes forceful tactics are needed
I haven’t really protested before,not even in marches, but I feel that
if I don’t do something to protect freedoms I ought to have, I may
never recover them again. We want to be peaceful, but under op-
pression, we need to resist.
We do what peaceful protesters don’t dare to do. Only after we’ve
occupied a street or a building do they feel that it’s safe to come out
and sit there as well. When I walk to the front, I’m scared. I prepare
myself mentally that I may get hurt and even arrested.
My brother supports me, but he can’t join the protests because of
work. My father found out because my school called him when I
skipped exams on June 12. He would say that it’s dangerous, and
that protesters who are in front, hitting the police, are rioters, and
to tell me not to be like them. I feel that that’s unfair to them, but I
wouldn’t get angry at him.
Alexandra Wong, 63
Retiree who is often on the front lines
of protests, waving a Union Jack flag
I wave the British flagbecause I want to remind middle-aged and
older people to think back on 1997 (when Britain returned Hong
Kong to Chinese control), and what the British people have built for
us. The Hong Kong government and Communist regime keep
wanting to erode our freedoms, our partial democracy, core values
and our rule of law.
I didn’t study politics or social science, but I simply understand
how precious democracy is from life experience. I lived in Austria
for 12 and a half years. I’ve lived in mainland China and was born
and raised in Hong Kong, and have also been an immigrant in the
United States. The difference in political systems can alter the peo-
ple’s sense of happiness so vastly — like heaven and earth!
I need to stand at the front with the students. I want to resist till
the end with them.
Calvin So, 23
A cook who was in the town of Yuen Long on July 21
when a mob attacked protesters and bystandersIt was 9:45 p.m.,and I had gotten off work and was walking along a
river on my way home. I saw many people in white shirts holding
weapons and I said, “Wow! So many people in white.” Those people
came over and yelled at me right after I said that. One person
started to hit me, then a few more. Then they all started to hit me as
I walked further. There must have been around 20 people sur-
rounding me.
These people beat me with things like rattan or hiking sticks. I
couldn’t exactly see what they were using, but I saw other people
holding these weapons. I felt frightened and bewildered. There
was no way I looked like their target. I didn’t go to the protest.
No one helped me. During the attack, someone threw my mobile
phone into the river. I just ran away and found a convenience store
where I called emergency services. Some officers arrived and an
ambulance took me to a hospital.Perry Dino, 53
Artist (real name: Perry Chan) who captures the protests
with oil on canvas, even when tear gas is firedI see my role as a witness to history,not so different from reporters.
I’m here to stand with the students, rain or shine. People can take
thousands of photos at a protest, but I only create one painting.
Photos can be deleted but to destroy my paintings, you will have to
burn them.
As I was painting on site, a foreigner asked me to sell him my
painting but I told him no. I’m worried that if a painting passes
through the wrong hands, it could disappear from history. I think
they need to stay here so that the next generation can see it in an
exhibit about Hong Kong’s democracy.
Not many paintings have tear gas as a raw material.Lam Ching, 28
An instructor at an adventure camp who
volunteers medical assistance at protests
Too many people had been injuredin recent clashes between police
and protesters, so I decided to come out, hoping to do my part and
provide them with first aid treatment.
I feel so angry. It is supposed to be a political issue, but the gov-
ernment has turned it into a conflict between the police and Hong
Kong people.
We are all Hong Kong people. I really hope the Hong Kong police
force can remain professional. I genuinely hope they can regain
their rationality and self-possession.
So Hiu-ching, 16
High school student and
peaceful protesterOur society isn’t thrown into chaosbecause of the protests. There
are protests because society is in turmoil. I really want to ask the
government to think about what they did this for. So much has hap-
pened and so many young people’s hopes have been dashed. Can
they take responsibility? Why can’t you say you will withdraw the
bill?
My parents sometimes cry while watching broadcasts of the pro-
tests and would tell us, “We are very sorry.” I don’t want to repeat
this phrase to my children. I want to fight for a Hong Kong that we
want, and not have to tell generation after generation that we ha-
ven’t done enough. I’m very happy my parents understand this.
There are still some conflicts though. Sometimes they would say
things like, “How can you battle with the government? You are do-
ing so much, will it lead to anything?” But we cannot give up be-
cause we won’t win without even trying.He Hua, 42
A Mandarin teacher from mainland
China and a government supporterI love Hong Kong.I don’t want it to be negatively impacted. My
child goes to school in Hong Kong, I work in Hong Kong, I love
Hong Kong, simple as that.
I am here to support the police, and we have to hold up our flag
because we are one collective organization.
It’s not that other people don’t love Hong Kong. Perhaps they
don’t understand or have misunderstood, and will do many rather
impulsive things. The protesters have damaged roads and the Leg-
islative Council, which is very poor behavior. As Chinese people,
we must not do that. We need to be people of conscience and mor-
als.Protesters, Bystanders, Beijing Allies:
Reflections on the Fate of Hong Kong
This article is by Tiffany May, Lam Yik Fei
and Ezra Cheung.Tens of thousands attended a march on July 7. Unofficial estimates say up to two million residents have gone to recent demonstrations.
PHOTOGRAPHS BY LAM YIK FEI FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES