Why I Joined The 2019 Hong Kong Protests and What I Experienced When There

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Hong Kong resident and auditor, Wing* (not her real name) was a participant in the recent Anti-Extradition Bill Protests in Hong Kong. She doesn’t want to be identified because she fears trouble (“The internet is too powerful; some guy who created a group in Telegram got arrested!”) but she did tell us why she protested and how the protest she was at escalated into chaos.

Q: Hi Wing, are you a Hong Kong citizen? For how many years have you been living in Hong Kong?

A: Yes, [I’ve been living in Hong Kong for] more than 20 years.

How did you first know about the protests against the extradition bill and why did u want to participate in it? What did you think you would achieve by participating in it?

At first, I got the information about the protest from the internet. Everyone was talking about the bill in forums, sharing news via social media and Instagram. If you are Hongkongese, you will know of such a protest, unless you don’t have access to the internet.

I was quite confused at the beginning. Then I discussed it with my friends and we tried to figure out what it was about. Not only were murderers involved, but there were also 36 other types of listed crimes included in the bill. If passed, it would allow extraditions from Hong Kong to China, threatening Hong Kong’s authority.

I decided to join the protest because I believe I still have the right to express my opinion in Hong Kong.

Is this your first protest? If not, what other protests have you participated in and why did you take part in those?

In 2014, like most of the Hongkongeses, I took part in the Umbrella Revolution, to urge the government to have universal suffrage for the Chief Executive.

How many of the 2019 extradition bill protests did you go for and which dates were those? Who did you go with?

I went on 12 June with two friends.

Did many of your friends or relatives protest as well? Approximately how many percent of the people you know took part in the protests?

I think around 30% of them took part in the protests.

What happened during the protest when you were there? Can you recount what you and your fellow protesters did and what the police did in response?

There are 3 main protests in total. The weekend ones are peaceful and millions of people join. The one I went to was defined as a ‘riot’ by the Chief Executive.

I gathered with friends on the Kowloon side [of the country] to buy those ‘needed items’ listed in the Telegram group (e.g. water, gloves, food). Then we took the MTR to Admiralty Station in the afternoon. When we arrived at Admiralty, there were not many policemen. It was a bit crowded but not a high pressure situation. However, we were worried of being stopped by the police since they might take away those ‘dangerous items’.  We strode across the crowd and reached the ‘resource center’ organised by the protesters. After giving them the stuff, we moved towards the main road near the Legislative Council.

Most of the protesters were young people, some of them looked exhausted and in a daze from having occupied roads overnight. I didn’t know if they really understood the reason for being there, but they looked calm.

At around 3pm, we were a few hundred metres from the Legislative Council. We didn’t really hear what people were yelling but clearly some people were creating a disturbance a few ten metres away. I asked my friend, “Did you hear what just happened?” They both said ‘no’. I checked my phone and there was no signal in the area. “It must be blocked by the government, I cannot browse the forum either,” my friend said. We also tried Telegram—it was very slow and not working properly. We started to get tense and kept refreshing Telegram for updates.

One hour later, things took a turn for the worse suddenly. The crowd stampeded and screamed, “Run, run, run!” We did not know what happened and simply followed the crowd. I dragged one of my friends to the corner of a building and yelled, “Stick to the corner, or you might stumble and get hurt!” We stuck together and watched the crowd run. Some people looked panicked and some were outraged. Rumours about the police shooting people spread.

It was so noisy and it was so quiet. People shouted and screamed but I didn’t hear. I could hardly breathe. It was the first time I smelled death.

I cleared my mind a bit and reunited with my friends after a while. A Telegram update said the police shot 3 guys at the front line which was a few hundred metres from us. We just stood there and could not speak a word. Tears filled our eyes. I could not tell whether it was because of the tear gas bomb or fear.

How did it feel to be attacked by the police of your home country? Do you have any sympathy for them since many are likely your fellow countrymen merely doing a job?

Fear more than rage to be honest. You don’t know if you will be the next to get shot at. Felt sad about the incident, but more helpless and sorry for the injured and dead.

An important thing is, the special unit doesn’t have a police number on their uniform. We doubt if they are really Hong Kong police. They could be sent by the China government to suppress us.

Did you prepare attire or tools to keep safe in case of an attack? And did you sustain any injuries or damages to property from being at the protest?

Our basic tools were an umbrella and a helmet. All of us learnt this from the Umbrella Revolution. Luckily, me and my friends were not hurt.

When and why did you decide to leave the protest?

When the Telegram group said the police had decided to clear the crowd in the evening.

When seeing the news reports about the protest you attended later on, did you see the situation on the ground reported accurately? What was accurate and what wasn’t?

Both sides made accusations about whether police or protesters were the more violent. Media reports are always biased, only reporting what they want people to know. Different media tell different stories. If you want to know the truth, you need to subscribe to different media.

Some people said the police were only doing their job while some said protesters did not attack the police. From my understanding, nobody was innocent. Everyone involved needs to be accountable for what they did.

Now that Carrie Lam, Chief Executive of Hong Kong, has agreed to suspend the extradition bill, will you still be protesting?

I am satisfied with the suspension and will not be going to the next protest.

Why do you think some people are still protesting and when do you think they will stop?

The internet is a perfect platform for people to incite others to be against the government. Young people are easy to be incited while being less likely to concede. They do not accept the apology from the Chief Executive and are even asking for more (e.g. Release those arrested, have the Chief Executive step down, etc). I don’t think the protesters will stop in the short term unless the Chief Executive feels obliged to resign. After the United States’ interference, it is not simply a local affair now. The local government is in grave danger if they fail to break the deadlock.

What advice do you have for those going to attend a protest similar to the one you attended? What should they prepare, bring or do to keep safe and get their voices heard?

Those who are going to such a protest better be well equipped with protective clothing (e.g. a raincoat), a hat/helmet and an umbrella. A fully-charged phone is of utmost importance since information updates keep you aware of the current situation.

What’s the worst advice you’ve been given, or have heard people giving, with regards to participating in protests? And what’s the best?

I heard from the internet that some people had asked protesters to bring flammable items. I think that is insane. If they throw flammable items when the police shoots those tear gas bombs, that will cause a lot more injuries. Also, [the situation] will go out of control easily.

I think an umbrella is the best.

Lastly, what will you do in 2047, when China gets full control of Hong Kong?

Move to another country if possible. Such as Singapore.

Drone footage of the 2019 Hong Kong Protests on YouTube by a group called Team Blacksheep, including footage of the protest on June 12 where Wing was. Credit: YouTube/Team BlackSheep

Although Wing is currently contemplating her emigration options, she will not hesitate to protest again if the situation calls for it. She believes it is her responsibility to do so.

The above interview is sponsored by:

Photographs courtesy and copyright of Wing*. Interviewer: Sy
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