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As millions of Hongkongers take to the streets, peaceful demonstrations gave way to bloody violence. The world has its eye on the former British colony; both Hong Kong and China’s reputation has been tarnished.

Unlike previous protests, this time the faces of the resistance are mothers, young people—strangers to the world of civil unrest. They are not being led by an overarching organization, and there are no familiar faces, no rising superstars in the political arena.

CommonWealth Magazine interviewed high school students and mothers who faced down the authorities as tear gas rained down on them. They bore witness to the sea change that’s washing over Hong Kong.

Six thousand mothers gathered at the “Hong Kong Mothers Anti-Extradition Rally” (香港媽媽反送中集氣大會) at the Chater Garden in the Central District of Hong Kong on June 14th. Two days earlier, as armed forces cracked down on protestors, the image of an unarmed middle-aged mother tearfully confronting the police: “Why do you raise your hand against our children?” was broadcasted around the globe.

It became the most symbolic accusation levelled at the authorities of Hong Kong, whose “peacekeeping forces” fired 150 rounds of tear gas and over 20 beanbag rounds on protestors who marched against the “Fugitive Offenders and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Legislation (Amendment) Bill 2019”, colloquially known as the China extradition bill.

The Legislative Council of Hong Kong has announced a recess for Tuesday June 18th, postponing the amendment process of the extradition bill, which had been scheduled for a second reading on June 12th and a final vote on June 20th.

Word on the street is Han Zheng (韓正), Vice Premier of the State Council and Leader of the Central Coordination Group for Hong Kong and Macau Affairs, has travelled south to personally take control of the situation. But nothing has been decided yet, and a cloud of uncertainty looms over Hong Kong. Another massive demonstration has been scheduled for June 16th.

Thousands of mothers and their children gathered at the Chater Garden in the Central District on the evening of June 14th. Light from their smart phones lit up the night as they protested the government’s decision to forcefully disperse the demonstrators. (Photo by Kang-yu Ping)

Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor (林鄭月娥), the Chief Executive of Hong Kong, expressed alarm and concern during an exclusive interview with the press. She tried to extend an olive branch by comparing the protesting students to her own children.

“If during the recklessness of my children’s youth, they go and do something irresponsible, I must show them the error of their ways. Otherwise, they will grow up and look back with regret, and they will ask: why didn’t mother stop me?”

The irony is not lost on the young people who were forcefully dispersed by the police just the night before. “What kind of mother fires weapons on her children?” A 16-year-old high school student retorts, the fury and disbelief evident in his voice.

'You Must Make Your Own Luck'

CommonWealth Magazine stepped away from the demonstration outside the legislature and visited a school in the suburbs for another perspective on the controversy.

“Students are just returning from the scene (of the protest). They are preparing for the next foray,” says a 30-year-old teacher who identified himself as “Coming”. His half-eaten boxed lunch is cradled in one hand; between bites of food, he coordinates with students protesting outside the legislature via the cell phone in his other hand. “My job at the moment is to order food for them, to take care of their stomachs.”

He guides us to a corner of the campus, where a group of high school students between 15 and 18 years of age are preparing to express their discontent to the government in their own way.

Some are busy with paint while others fuss over design. They are putting together a huge poster which features a quote by Hong Kong celebrity “Ah Yuen” (阿源), a young man whose personal story of kicking his drug habit launched him to stardom. The quote goes: “You must make your own luck” (這些機會是要自己爭取的). Three additional words are added for emphasis, “No China Extradition.” The core message is clear.

“We need to finish this in twelve hours. There will be five in total, we will hang them in the city center, so everyone sees them,” a female student tells us excitedly.

Another group is stationed before the computers, monitoring the live feed from different demonstrations. They coordinate protestors, assign them to groups, and make sure their classmates demonstrating outside the legislature are given the correct intel. In this way, they keep tabs on everything, make sure everyone is safe, and provide resupplies when necessary.

“We realize we cannot die on the frontlines because we are physically weaker. So, we stay here and participate remotely to help everyone,” says another girl who was assigned to provide instant updates on traffic situations.

Hong Kong social commentator Leung Kai Chi (梁啟智) observes that these student protestors are even younger than those who participated in the “Occupy Central” movement in 2014. “Many of them did not participate in that event, these new protesters are mostly greenhorns.”

Demonstration against the China extradition bill saw millions of Hongkongers take to the streets. Even the Central District, which is the political and economic center of Hong Kong, was barricaded. Though no decision has been reached yet, it can be predicted that in the wake of these protests, Hongkongers will not regain faith in their government any time soon. (Source: Shutterstock)

Family Disowned 'New Immigrant' Who Took to the Streets

We asked the students: why are you so actively participating in the protests? “I was sitting in the grass, and the next thing I knew, I was being attacked from behind with smoke bombs,” a female student remembers the harrowing experience of being forcefully dispersed.

Despite the traumatic memory, she speaks to us in a precocious tone, “it’s time the people of Hong Kong came together and fought against injustice. I am accountable for what happens in my home, my sense of responsibility comes from deep within me.”

Just eighteen years old and preparing to go abroad for university, she says she identifies with Chinese culture, but cannot stand how the Chinese government tramples on human rights. However, her family background and the inevitable generation gap has led to conflict with her parents over the extradition bill protests. “They’ve notified all our relatives that they’re disowning me.”

Her parents were “new immigrants” who moved from China to Hong Kong to start a new life. More than ten years ago, they moved back to China. She only came back to Hong Kong when she was in junior high school.

Her parents’ deep affiliation with mainland China, coupled with the fact her mother used to be a government worker, led to this crisis. “They feel I am making trouble for governments on both sides, they think the protesters are an unruly mob and we’re just wasting our breath.”

“But I am a student of the arts, and an artist should integrate with society. We’ve all heard the stories, some artists or politicians are framed and locked away because they ran afoul of the authorities. I am distrustful of what the government says, I feel if (the bill) is passed, we would lose another piece of our freedom in Hong Kong.”

Many young protesters are like her: born after Britain returned Hong Kong to China in 1997. Though intimate relations between China and Hong Kong are the norm to this generation, Hong Kong is more than just a “home.” It’s a sense of identity, and it’s a lifestyle and attitude that’s different from China. They are freer, more independent here. If the China extradition bill is to pass, these valued ideals may be deprived from them overnight.

“If they pass this bill, it would influence Hong Kong’s position as an independent economic entity on the world stage. Everything we hold dear may begin to disappear,” says a male student, his eyes glued to the computer monitor. He worries another violent confrontation is imminent.

Unlike the “Occupy Central” movement of 2014, which was about achieving “genuine universal suffrage,” and was a testament to Hong Kong’s pursuit of true democracy, the demonstration against the China extradition bill is a fight to defend the rule of law in Hong Kong.

If this battle is lost, “it will be a terrible blow to the spirit of Hong Kong,” says Ivan Choy (蔡子強), Senior Lecturer at the Department of Government and Public Administration at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, with deep pessimism.

On the afternoon of June 12th, Hong Kong police fired tear gas and beanbag rounds into the crowd without warning. This attempt to disperse the demonstration outside the legislature led to clashes between protestors and police. A student who was at the scene recounts sadly, “Our sit-in was peaceful, we were not rioters, why did they do this to us?” (Source: Shutterstock)

'We Are Not Doing This Because of Hope'

At the heart of the conflict is the fact that the China extradition bill has struck a nerve in Hong Kong. It shows the “one country, two systems” principle exists only in name. Deep-seated dissent that’s been lurking in the society was unleashed in a torrential wave.

On the evening of the 14th, more than six thousand mothers gathered at the Chater Garden to raise their smart phones and cast light into the night sky. With this peaceful petition, they hoped to express their dissatisfaction with the brutal way the government dispersed protesters.

“They are not lawless rioters, they are the symbol of hope. We want to tell the young people of Hong Kong that they are not alone in this fight,” said Professor Susanne Choi Yuk Ping (蔡玉萍) of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, who spoke at the rally.

“We are not doing this because of ‘hope’. We are doing it because we have an obligation. It’s a sea change in our way of thinking, which is why our recent demonstrations are more grassroots, with a less centralized structure,” Leung Kai Chi observes.

The young teacher Coming, who participated in the “Occupy Central” movement in 2014, also reflects that “Occupy” was mobilized by a few student groups that led the people to express their discontent with the government.

But the anti-extradition bill demonstration is a spontaneous grassroots movement which does not rely on central leadership. Different demonstrators are moving toward the same goal in their own ways, so they operate with more energy and flexibility.

“The structure of this (movement) is not a pyramid like it was with ‘Occupy Central’, where you could look up the chain of command and await instructions from a leader. This time, everything is moving in parallel. Everyone is thinking about what they can do independently, and then taking action without waiting for a leader to tell them if it’s the right thing to do.”

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Faster, Smarter Civil Disobedience in the Age of Chat Groups and Social Media

Another difference between this movement and “Occupy Central” from five years ago is the new generation is much more apt at connecting and coordinating with each other over the internet. Their tools of choice are various social media and messaging apps.

For instance, to combat rumors and misinformation, college students have set up a factchecking channel on the messaging app “Telegram.” They help protesters confirm or correct information in real time, and they provide regular updates on the demonstration in front of the legislature.

“I really feel like they became adults overnight,” a teacher identified as “Zi”, who demonstrated with students on the 12th, says with a smile.

In the past, when political issues were brought up during class, students often expressed disinterest or felt the subject matter was very distant from them. But the anti-extradition bill protests were an awakening. The students were inspired to care about public affairs, and to become curious about the inner workings of the government. They want to see the organization chart of the legislature, they want to learn how legislators are elected. Some even came up with their own ideas about how the whole thing should work. “They’ve become very highly motivated to learn about politics.”

“A teacher’s work is not to interfere with our students’ decisions. We only tell them, you are a citizen of Hong Kong. No matter how you feel about this issue, you should ask yourself, what can I personally do to show concern, to change this society for the better? That’s what’s important,” says Coming.

This summer, many teenage high school students took the first real civics course of their lives in the streets of Hong Kong.

'Failure is the Norm,' But It’s Not the End

This is the largest instance of civil unrest since the handover of Hong Kong in 1997. But as authorities delayed the scheduled legislative sessions again and again, it became apparent that whether the bill is to be passed or rejected, the powers that be are dragging their feet. Because of this, the pro-democracy camp in Hong Kong is calling for more rallies on June 16th. They hope by the uniting the opposition, the government will not have a chance to push the bill through amidst the chaos.

But the unspoken question remains: how will the young people of Hong Kong deal with the defeat of their combined efforts, should the government decide to push through the extradition bill anyway?

“Our protest was never meant to be the ‘end game’. It is a cumulative process. Look at me, I failed in my opposition of the Express Rail Link; I had some success fighting against the moral and national education controversy; but I failed again in the ‘Occupy Central’ movement, and again when I stood against the Express Rail Link “Co-location” Bill. It’s a litany of failures, yet here I stand. Failure is the norm, but it’s important is to know why I’m doing this, what I’m fighting for, that’s what matters.”

Despite having participated in many failed political movements, and ultimately taking the job of an ordinary teacher, Coming firmly believes they must continue to fight the good fight. Even if the anti-extradition bill protests fail, and even if the young protesters suffer from depression and disillusionment, the road ahead is still very long. This experience will leave a lasting impression on the students.

It is not the end, but the beginning of their awakening as active citizens who participate in the civil duties of their society.

Translated by Jack C.

Edited by Sharon Tseng