Something rare happened on Wednesday, the fourth of September. A government, a gargantuan beast that’s known to be an immovable object at the best of times, relented in the face of protests.

Carrie Lam’s promise to nix the extradition bill came as a pleasant shock but it is arriving on the heels of a long battle. It’s just a small step to meet the demands of those out on the streets, protesting for freedom. However, this olive branch from Lam is a major change in the discourse and it could be the first inch that the protesters need to take back their rights and their freedom.

Photo by Joseph Chan on Unsplash

All of this was achieved through persistence and an impeccable coordination effort, which was realized through groups on the Telegram app. According to dispatches, the messenger seems to have played a central role in the protests. Hong Kong citizens used the app’s sprawling groups to agree the timeline of their civil unrest and inform compatriots whenever needed. The citizens came together and saved lives by sending doctors to treat the injured and prevented a much darker outcome to the fight for freedom by exposing moles in the movement.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the protests would have gotten nowhere if they weren’t so well-organized and successful. Today, it’s high time to take a look at the online community that made all of this possible and the future possibilities of using the internet resources in the ongoing fight for a free future.