TORONTO—This summer, I attended a rally meant to show Hong Kongers they are not alone in their struggle for democracy.

As protesters waved Canadian flags at the Toronto event, Chinese counter protesters were on hand as well — and their presence loomed large. They booed. Some waved the middle finger. They physically blocked pro-Hong Kong protesters from conducting a march. They sang the Chinese national anthem while calling those waving the Canadian flag in Canada “traitors” in Mandarin. They threatened pro-Hong Kong protesters with violence.

Hong Kongers are fighting to preserve the democracy and freedom they were promised. They have been fighting since before this past June’s 30th anniversary of Tiananmen Square, and they’re still fighting today as the world marks the 70th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China.

The Toronto rally was part of that fight and it was confronted by a group that had weaponized those same freedoms that Hong Kongers are yearning for, without recognizing the irony.

I grew up in Canada, but I was born in China.

Growing up, I didn’t feel any different from my friends. That was a promise of what was to come in a culture that celebrates multiculturalism and democracy.

I attended rallies and town halls where politicians had to talk to their electorate and where the people could hold them accountable.

Today, it is my genuine hope that some of the counter protesters from that Toronto event come to realize it was a privilege to be able to protest for their view on Hong Kong, a privilege not accorded to those in mainland China.

To drive home that point there are things that should be done here in Canada.

There should be more teaching about the importance of democracy and freedom of speech at universities, whether it is on-campus events, courses or discussions. Something prompted international Chinese students to do their education in a free, open and democratic society — and it should be a given that there will be more paths for them to understand why.

More rallies in solidarity with Hong Kong should be planned. Solidarity marches will be a physical demonstration of Canada’s commitment to charter rights, and the willingness of Canadians to live it through their actions.

Threats of violence or violence itself should not be tolerated. Canadians and Hong Kongers living in Canada — and yes, counter protesters of all stripes — deserve to express their views without threat.

Finally, our political leaders should firmly voice their support. Toronto Mayor John Tory’s step to acknowledge that China’s flag-raising on National Day was problematic was an appropriate sign of solidarity. This is no longer a fight about politics an ocean away, it is a true test of willingness to live according to our democratic principles.

Even as Chief Executive Carrie Lam withdraws the extradition bill that kicked off the protests, she has made it clear that other demands, such as an inquiry into police brutality, will not be met. The reaction from pro-democrats, protesters and even pro-Beijing legislators is a chorus of “too little, too late.” The protests in Hong Kong have evolved from one spark to a broad showing of discontent about a suffocation of promised democratic rights. A rallying cry of “five demands, not one less” has flooded the streets of Hong Kong — the last demand being universal suffrage.

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The pro-China counter protesters in Toronto asked in a mocking tone why protesters weren’t singing their national anthem. The irony is that they could sing their anthem because of an essential Canadian value: freedom of speech.

Canadian police officers were protecting their ability to express their protected political speech. This is a right that must be exercised and fought for.

Roger was born in China but grew up in Canada. He was one of the first to write about cryptocurrency in Canada, and has bylines on Fast Company, Forbes, TechCrunch, and Entrepreneur on machine learning, entrepreneurship, and cryptocurrency. He has written about Chinese history for the Los Angeles Review of Books. Twitter: @rogerh1991

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