SOPHIE MCNEILL, REPORTER: For 3 months, the people of Hong Kong have taken to the streets.

Famous for being orderly and law abiding... everyday Hong Kongers are now putting themselves on the frontlines.

TOM, 'FRONTLINER': We're not afraid, because Hong Kong is our home. Fighting for freedom is what I am born for, and we won't give up until our last breath.

YOYO: We can be radical sometimes. We can also be very, very peaceful, as long as our demands are heard. But one thing, one message is that none of us will quit the fight.

JOSHUA WONG, DEMOCRACY ACTIVIST: Hong Kong is just similar as East Berlin in the last century under authoritarian rule. Now is the time for us to fight back. Let the world know that we are the ones standing in the forefront to confront Beijing suppression.

JOHNSON YEUNG, DEMOCRACY ACTIVIST: I do hope Hong Kong movement can serve as a beacon that tells mainland Chinese that there is an alternative. We can live better than just submitting to the terror of Beijing.

SOPHIE MCNEILL, REPORTER: Tonight, on Four Corners we take you inside Hong Kong's rebellion...as ordinary citizens across this city rise up to reject Beijing's control...



One minute it looks like any normal Saturday afternoon in Hong Kong...the next, protestors suddenly spill out of the train station... and start shutting down this massive intersection.

They're known as 'Netizens' - citizens who connect online. This act of civil disobedience was organised on an encrypted app.

TH: We are going to block them and we go

SOPHIE MCNEILL, REPORTER: And then you'll leave?

TH: Yeah and we leave just like a mob, flash mob.

SOPHIE MCNEILL, REPORTER: A Flash mob?

TH: Yeah.

SOPHIE MCNEILL, REPORTER: The ones building the barricades are the 'frontliners' of the movement - umbrellas are used to keep their identities secret.

TOM 'FRONTLINER': The reason why we all come in black clothes, is that we don't want to be identified, because we're doing civil disobedience. So, we understand that we are breaking some of the laws, in the name of justice, and then we also know that if we are identified by the police government or the government they will charge us.

[SUBTITLE] PROTESTER: Ok anyone disagree? If no one disagrees please ask your other mates to come here, we will discuss further

With the roundabout blocked, it won't be long before the police arrive...

PROTESTER [SUBTITLE]: The main point is to divide their the police's resource. Now they come from Tai Po to here, so let's move back to Tai Po!

PROTESTER [SUBTITLE]: We want our protestors to hit all 18 Hong Kong districts, so the police need to standby all districts.

SOPHIE MCNEILL, REPORTER: They decided it will be easier to overwhelm the police if they split up.

PROTESTER [SUBTITLE]: That's too risky.

PROTESTER [SUBTITLE]: We need to make quick decisions, then the police can't come in time.

PROTESTER [SUBTITLE]: we can get it done in 20 minutes. Take only a few people with you, less people are more effective.

PROTESTER [SUBTITLE]: we will do anything to let us, to get our democracy to get our freedoms, by any means necessary

PROTESTER [SUBTITLE]: We are Hong Kongers. We ain't any Mainlanders. That's what we have to say to the whole world. With Chinese CCP trying to take over our country or our city, we will against them for everything. Yeah. Including our life.

SOPHIE MCNEILL, REPORTER: So the protest leaders have just shouted out that the riot police are coming so they've told all the crowds to get on the train and to leave this location and to move somewhere else.

The riot police turn up and start firing tear gas.

The forces are ready for action, but there is no one to arrest. The protestors have melted away.

The only ones left here are annoyed residents - and it's the police they're angry with.

PROTESTER [SUBTITLE]: You bastards! Leave faster you motherfucker. Move faster. You motherfucker, you coward. You bully the good people.

PROTESTER [SUBTITLE]: I support the protestor yeah. I think they have no other way to do. This is a peaceful protest. They asking for what they want. They, they, they, they all think about Hong Kong's future. But the government is nonsense.

SOPHIE MCNEILL, REPORTER: This is just the first stop of the night. Defying bans from police, separate groups hit different locations across the city.

Ten kilometres away, the protestors pop up here, on Nathan road, one of Hong Kong's busiest shopping districts.

They have to keep moving.

Passers-by help the protestors avoid the police.

WOMAN IN CAR [SUBTITLE]: You can't go through from Tsim Sha Tsui because they are marching in from that direction.

'TOM', FRONTLINER [SUBTITLE]: We just disappear, and then we're here. We go to here. And that's the decision that we made at that moment at the roundabout.

SOPHIE MCNEILL, REPORTER: Protestors use pseudonyms to protect their identities.

24-year-old engineer, 'Tom' spends his days in a suit working on Hong Kong Island... At night, he is one of the movement's frontliners.

'TOM', FRONTLINER [SUBTITLE]: I just run. I'm a fast runner, so, I'm fine.

SOPHIE MCNEILL, REPORTER: Are you scared about being arrested?

'TOM', FRONTLINER [SUBTITLE]: Well, I'm more scared about losing the freedom, to be honest. So, getting arrested isn't that scary compared to losing freedom to China.

The protests that have exploded onto these streets for the last 3 months have grown out of years of frustration and fears...

The policy knowns as one country 2 systems that is supposed to guarantee HK autonomy has been steadily eroded

LOUISA LIM, AUTHOR AND JOURNALIST: Hong Kong has enjoyed all kinds of freedoms that really aren't possible on the mainland. The independent judiciary, the independent civil service also freedom of the press, freedom of, uh, expression, these are things that Hong Kongers have traditionally enjoyed, although in recent years those, uh, freedoms have been shrinking.

This is not the first time Hong Kongers have taken to the streets ... in 2014 the umbrella movement emerged, demanding fully democratic elections in Hong Kong.

JOHNSON YEUNG, DEMOCRACY ACTIVIST: Hong Kongese was always understood as economic as economic animals who care about their gain, who cares about their own money and not caring the others. That was not the case in the Umbrella Movement.

KEVIN LAM, LAWYER: After the Umbrella Movement, they started limiting who can or can't run for office. They started prosecuting a lot of people for taking part in protests, that sort of thing. I think that's when the world really started taking notice

JOSHUA WONG, LEADER UMBRELLA MOVEMENT: Under the hard-line leadership of President Xi, lawmaker were unseated and kicked out of office. 14 Activists, including me, were in prison and jailed for several years. It's really impressive by Hong Kong people after the crackdown on human rights, after loss of political leader being locked up in prison, they still do not step backwards.

Earlier this year when Chief executive Carrie Lam proposed a new law which could see Hong Kongers extradited to the mainland to face Beijing style justice, the people rose up.

In June, an estimated 2 million marched against the bill - the largest protest in the city's history.



High school student "Gotham" joined the protests.

'GOTHAM' [SUBTITLE]: I feel very proud to be one of the two million protestors. So many Hong Kongers came out for their freedom. Even though we face many struggles, we are not afraid. We will face the problem, not run away from it.

The government suspended the bill but refused to officially withdraw it ... further infuriating many Hong Kongers

YOYO: When two million came out, and the government still refused to directly address or respond to the people, we realized that, "Hey, it's the government who refused to answer the people, and it's a structural problem that can only be solved by democracy."

SOPHIE MCNEILL, REPORTER: On July 1st... the 22nd anniversary of the island's handover from the United Kingdom to China, protestors stormed the LegCo, Hong Kong's government chambers.

MP Fernando Cheung tried to stop protestors breaking in.

FERNANDO CHEUNG, DEMOCRACY MP: Well, when I saw the crowd try to storm into the LegCo, trying to break the glass door, I thought, no, that shouldn't happen. Because any type of violence like that, even though they were not directed to any person, it may make the movement lose its momentum and public support. Hong Kong is a very peaceful society.

They wanted to sacrifice themselves to bring changes. They wanted to be arrested. So it was really saddening to see a lot of young people not seeing any way out.

SOPHIE MCNEILL, REPORTER: The protestors took over the house and read out their demands to the government...

BRAIN LEUNG, PROTESTER: Carrie Lam step down. No extradition bill. Release all arrested protesters.

LOUISA LIM, AUTHOR AND JOURNALIST: I went inside the chamber but I was also outside the chamber, and outside the building, for someone like me who grew up in Hong Kong, that was a really shocking moment.

KEVIN LAM, LAWYER: You saw that they were very specific about what they were vandalizing. They were all symbols of political authority that's been acting in an egregious manner. Then you saw the way they put up signs saying, "Don't vandalize library books. Don't vandalize antiques. We're not thieves. Please pay for your drinks" and at that point, I think that melted the resistance of a lot of moderate pro-democracy supporters. 59

FERNANDO CHEUNG, DEMOCRACY MP: To my surprise, the public support was still very much there even after they stormed into the LegCo building this slogan of not being divisive and that we stay together whether we are the peaceful ones or the more radical ones, we stay together in the movement, seems to be working.

LOUISA LIM, AUTHOR & JOURNALIST: There was one pillar inside the building, and the words that were spray painted on it in Chinese were, um, "You have taught us that peaceful action is not effective." And I think many people believe that.



The movement added a key demand to their platform - universal suffrage - democracy for Hong Kong.

LOUISA LIM, AUTHOR & JOURNALIST: What started off as a relatively targeted, relatively simple protest has- has really exploded into something much, much bigger.



OLDER WOMEN: Hong Kongers we should show our bravery! We don't need to be afraid 01:53:32:21 We need to tell this communist government, even if you send mainland police or secret police, Hong Kong people will not break down!!

SOPHIE MCNEILL, REPORTER: In many ways, Hong Kong now resembles a city in open rebellion...

From a march for the elderly... to a protest by the city's lawyers.... the medical community and a civil servants strike.

Citizens across society have banded together to join the movement.

FERNANDO CHEUNG, DEMOCRACY MP: We have people really all over the different sectors in Hong Kong participating and supporting this movement. In one arrest, the police arrested 40 some people. The youngest being 13, the oldest 62 and in between people from all walks of life. We have an airplane pilot, we have a nurse, we have teachers, we have social worker, we have many professionals.

KEEP IT UP! HONG KONGERS!

SOPHIE MCNEILL, REPORTER: While almost daily peaceful protests continue, black clad 'frontliners' can appear at any time, ready for running battles with the police...

The movement has no formal leadership....

Protestors vote online to decide what action to take.

TOM 'FRONTLINER' [SUBTITLE]: We use polling system when we cast vote, so that everyone can get a chance to participate in it. And I think it shows a way how a democratic society works by voting and it can be a peaceful way to work out everything.

YOYO: Anyone with an account of LIHKG, the online forum that a lot of us use, or read. There will be people giving their ideas, and they can respond by supporting or turning down, or commenting how to improve that.



SOPHIE MCNEILL, REPORTER: As the protests have rolled on, authorities have restricted the sale of gas masks, goggles, helmets and hard hats... both in stores and online.

So a popup shop called 'National Calamity hardware' was set up to fill the gap.

SELLER ON MEGAPHONE: All filters are sold out! Helmets are $50. Man asks: Do you have helmets? Helmets sold out!"

SELLER ON MEGAPHONE: This is the final helmet, there is one helmet left final one. $50.

SELLER ON MEGAPHONE: 35.57 Any students here? Are there still bottles? Bottles out!

TOM 'FRONTLINER' [SUBTITLE]: He will announce his location on Facebook and other Telegram channel, the store will only set up for two or three hours. They also give a great discount to students or those who are in financial difficulties.

SOPHIE MCNEILL, REPORTER: 'Tom' is joining the frontliners in tonight's action...

Barricades are being set up right in the city centre.

TOM 'FRONTLINER' [SUBTITLE]: We will try to defend it, as we can, but if we can't then, in order to avoid arrest and injury, we would just back off.

They're doing in this in hope of stopping police charging us when that happens.

SOPHIE MCNEILL, REPORTER: And what's down there?

TOM 'FRONTLINER' [SUBTITLE]: Police headquarter. It's about 200 metres away from us now.

SOPHIE MCNEILL, REPORTER: Protestors use lasers to distract police officers and disrupt what they fear are facial recognition cameras.

SOPHIE MCNEILL, REPORTER: The protesters are now starting to move back as we can see the police in the distance and it looks like they are coming down straight towards us

Bricks and Molotov cocktails are among the arsenal used by frontliners.

As the police advance protestors head to the metro.

PROTESTORS [SUBTITLE]: Our next destination is Causeway Bay. Move! Let's move from here first!

SOPHIE MCNEILL, REPORTER: Tear gas fired near the entrance has begun to seep in here.

The protestors begin to disperse in different directions at astonishing speed - adhering to the slogan of their movement which is 'Be Water' - to be formless and shapeless.

TOM 'FRONTLINER' [SUBTITLE]: And this way of being flexible is the true meaning of "be water." When they hit us, we just disperse. We disappear. We don't get hurt. We escape or retreat together and then we get at another place to continue to protest.

DATE: Sunday, 11 August

SOPHIE MCNEILL, REPORTER: After weeks of protests... tonight, police change their tactics...

A young man is jumped by undercover police dressed as frontliners.

UPSOT PROTESTER: Even my front tooth has fallen off. I'm sorry, its ok, I understand. Don't do this I beg you.

SOPHIE MCNEILL, REPORTER: At another location... a young woman is hit in the eye.

In the metro police fire tear gas cannisters only metres from protestors' heads and then push them down the escalator and beat them.



KEVIN YAM, LAWYER: I thought Sunday night was a major, major, major miscalculation on the part of the police and the authorities. The police actions that night were completely unnecessary, and it just raised the temperature all over again.



SOPHIE MCNEILL, REPORTER: As news spreads of the violent arrests, residents come down from their apartments... and join the frontliners.... cursing the police.

UPSOT PROTESTERS: Reclaim Hong Kong revolution in our times

SOPHIE MCNEILL, REPORTER: In another neighbourhood, locals surround a police van.

PROTESTORS: "Don't let them go"; "Release him!"; "Hong Kong police know the law, they break the law".

SOPHIE MCNEILL, REPORTER: The crowds have all started to cheer because the police are now retreating...

GRAFFITI TRANSLATION: We will seek revenge!

LOUISA LIM, AUTHOR & JOURNALIST: Hong Kong's police force used to be thought of as the finest police force in Asia, and people were generally quite proud of the police force. But in recent weeks we've really seen this sort of total loss of trust in the police. In some cases, Triads, so local gangs, have been used to beat up protesters, and the police have not intervened. I think they feel that institution of the police force is no longer necessarily safeguarding public order, it's doing political work.

A popular uprising like this is Beijing's worst nightmare.

They have been rolling out a steady fear campaign... massing troops and tanks on the border with Hong Kong... and showcasing their 'riot control' techniques.

A fresh contingent of mainland troops was sent to the PLA garrison that is permanently stationed on the island...

Pro-Beijing politicians are trying to downplay the chances of PLA soldiers being deployed on HK's streets

HOLDEN CHOW PRO GOVERNMENT MP: I don't think the PLA would come in to deal with the situation here because I trust the Hong Kong Police and the Hong Kong SAR government. The difficulty the government is facing right now is they see the demand from the people. But you know, in the entire movement there simply are no leaders. And unlike any other civil rights movement, if there are leaders in the movement, the government can engage with them and have dialogue and negotiate.

SOPHIE MCNEILL, REPORTER: The reason there are no leaders is because the government you support has put them all in jail.

HOLDEN CHOW PRO GOVERNMENT MP: Well -

SOPHIE MCNEILL, REPORTER: It's true. You can see, anyone who emerges as a leader of the pro-democracy camp ends up in jail.

HOLDEN CHOW PRO GOVERNMENT MP: Well, you know, for any person who has committed an act against the law because we are a city with the rule of law and we trust that the court would provide them with the proper judgment.

SOPHIE MCNEILL, REPORTER: Fearful of Beijing's long arm, these frontliners are dismantling new 'smart' lamp posts which they fear could be used by the central government to surveil them.

PROTESTER [SUBTITLE]: We don't want such surveillance lamp post anymore. We don't wish to be monitor wherever we go or whatever we do."

DATE: Monday 12 August



SOPHIE MCNEILL, REPORTER: Furious at police brutality, the protestors make a bold new move... and decide to close down Hong Kong's international airport.

PROTESTER: SHAME ON HONG KONG POLICE!

SOPHIE MCNEILL, REPORTER: Among them is university graduate... Yoyo.



YOYO: Because we just know that peaceful rally doesn't work anymore, or it doesn't have any effect apart from showing solidarity with each other. So basically, we're exploring different ways to urge the government and also gathering more pressure on the government to respond to our demands.

YOYO: None of our five demands have been met. And, so we basically like want to tell people what we are fighting for, and by using a more peaceful attempt to protest, we want to spread our messages, to people from all over the world, including visitors from mainland China

SOPHIE MCNEILL, REPORTER: By late afternoon they have shut down one of the world's busiest airports.

Donation have poured in to support the protestors blockade... food, water... even money for their train tickets.

'Gotham' is back at the protests. While he was born in Hong Kong his parents are from mainland china... and they don't support him being here.

'GOTHAM': My parents are, are in the China side, and when I come out to protesting, and they will just like, uh, they feel disgusting, about what I do.



'GOTHAM': I think my parents are like scientists who in the Galileo era believed that the earth was flat, those people have fallen asleep, you can't wake them up. If you discuss with them, they become more angry. It is suffocating to live under the Communist Party's rule. Living in a place with no freedom and no rights, including human rights, I think frankly I would rather die.

DATE: Tuesday 13th August

SOPHIE MCNEILL, REPORTER: Tensions build as the airport blockade enters its second day...

Protestors chant 'sorry' at frustrated passengers

AIRPORT ANNOUNCEMENT: All passengers are advised to leave the terminal as soon as possible.

PROTESTER: Please, don't do this.

ANGRY PASSENGER: Please, don't make me angry.

PROTESTOR: We don't want chaotic situation!

Protestors begin to argue amongst themselves over how aggressive their tactics should be.

PROTESTER [SUBTITLE]: You said I shouldn't disturb people! Then I shouldn't even come out then! it really affects me too. Why do you think we had to come here?

SOPHIE MCNEILL, REPORTER: People here are paranoid after police infiltrated their protests.

They surround someone they suspect is an undercover cop.

The man is tied up after discovering he has mainland Chinese ID ... some protestors start attacking him.

SOPHIE MCNEILL, REPORTER: They've surrounded him and they're holding him and it's not clear what they are gonna do with him next.

The whole ordeal is being livestreamed on local media...the man passes out. Paramedics are stopped from evacuating him... With serious concerns for his life, police are sent in.

SOPHIE MCNEILL, REPORTER: So crowds have now surrounded these police who have come into the airport to try and save this man, they are trying to get him out but the crowd are not letting them take the stretcher out.

Protestors swarm outside to confront the police. Reinforcements arrive.

A bystander at the airport, Richard Chan rushes to put himself between the protestors and the police.

RICHARD CHAN [SUBTITLE]: I was standing in the middle in the hope of stopping the further confrontation between the two groups. I believed that the police would not do anything to me. In addition to my clothing and my age as an uncle, I believed the police would not use much violence.



SOPHIE MCNEILL, REPORTER: But Richard is pepper sprayed.

RICHARD CHAN [SUBTITLE]: I came here to try and keep the peace.



SOPHIE MCNEILL, REPORTER: Back inside, the crowd spots another man they suspect of being a Chinese spy.

PROTESTOR [SUBTITLE]: if it's true let's beat the hell out of him

MAN: Don't hit me! Don't hit me!

It's okay it's okay it's okay. Record this, record this.

PROTESTER: Don't hit him

MAN: Record this. I am innocent.

SOPHIE MCNEILL, REPORTER: He begs for help and asks me to keep filming.

But he is pulled away from our cameras and beaten before paramedics are finally allowed to take him away... he turns out to be a reporter working for Global Times, a communist state media publication.

As the night ends, many in the movement believe the protestors have damaged the cause.

FERNANDO CHEUNG, DEMOCRACY MP: Hatred breeds hatred this is what we see. We've seen violence escalated on both sides. What you've seen tonight at the airport is not a representation of the campaign itself. We do not condone violence we want to fight against violence

The day after the movement holds a vote... the majority agree that that they should apologise.

TOM 'FRONTLINER' [SUBTITLE]: I would say the protester, including me, committed a mistake. Receiving medical treatment is human right and it should always be allowed even though maybe he is our enemy and I think the protester have learned from their mistakes properly and it's not going to happen again

SOPHIE MCNEILL, REPORTER: Democracy supporters call for a return to non-violent tactics.

RICHARD CHAN [SUBTITLE]: If there is a very peaceful protest in the coming Sunday, we are able to tell the government that we are still very peaceful and pressure the government.

YOYO: We can be radical sometimes. We can also be very, very peaceful, as long as our demands are heard. But one thing, one message is that none of us will quit the fight. We have to keep fighting. There's no ... this is our end game. This is now or never

SOPHIE MCNEILL, REPORTER: In the pouring rain, more than a million Hong Kongers show their support for the movement.

JOSHUA WONG, DEMOCRACY ACTIVIST: No one can imagine Beijing would let Hong Kong people have democracy. At the same time, no one imagined Hong Kong with two out of seven million people join the protest. Hong Kong people always love to create miracles and be the change that we want to see.

FERNANDO CHEUNG, DEMOCRACY MP: So I would imagine and I would dream that one day we would be looking at Beijing, the rest of China, going through the same thing. It could be difficult, it could be violent. I certainly hope not. But the fight in Kong Kong would be a very good example of what would happen in the rest of China.

JOHNSON YEUNG, DEMOCRACY ACTIVIST: I do hope Hong Kong movement can serve as a beacon that tells mainland Chinese, that there is an alternative. We can live better than just submitting to the terror of Beijing.

SOPHIE MCNEILL, REPORTER: Nearly 1000 Hong Kongers have been arrested in the past 3 months... many could face years in jail.

LOUISA LIM INTERVIEW 310 39:25 I mean the real issue is that despite millions of people taking to the streets over three months and despite this return to peaceful protests, the government hasn't budged at all. It hasn't made any concessions at all.

RICHARD CHAN [SUBTITLE]: It seems that our voices are still not being heard. That's really heartbreaking.

SOPHIE MCNEILL, REPORTER: On Friday authorities began rounding up several high-profile democracy activists.

Josh Wong was among those arrested.

As the situation remains deadlocked... Hong Kong's streets have once again returned to violence.

KEVIN YAM, LAWYER: I'm very worried. I can never tell whether they're brave or crazy brave. They think that this is the last stand and that if they don't fight this one out to the bitter end, that's it.

DATE: Saturday 31 August



SOPHIE MCNEILL, REPORTER: On Saturday night protesters defied city-wide bans and took to the streets once again.

As Hong Kongers refused to disperse, the police response was unprecedented and brutal.

LOUISA LIM, AUTHOR & JOURNALIST: We're seeing more and more violence being used, we're seeing these threats of intervention from Beijing, it's really, really hard to see any way out. I think for Hong Kongers this, all of this is unimaginable.23 Nobody thought that we would now be in this kind of situation where there's basically pitched battles on the street every, every weekend. Its inexplicable 32

TOM 'FRONTLINER' [SUBTITLE]: We have the same goal, we are united and what we are facing is enormous because Chinese government have many resources to control us. But we're not afraid because Hong Kong is our home. This is what we only have. And I feel that in this situation fighting for freedom is what I am born for, and we won't give up until our last breath.

GRAFFITI SUBTITLE: It was you who taught us peaceful protests don't work.