In a scarred Hong Kong, “beautiful things are gone”.
Remembering what happened in 2019 has become more important than ever.
One year after China imposed the #NSL, we speak to six different Hong Kong people on how they’re keeping the city's memories alive. widerimage.reuters.com/story/in-a-sca…
Democracy activists charge that those in power are trying to take control of the narrative, and they fear that future generations will hear only the government’s version of events.
📷: Reuters/Lam Yik
It’s not only a battle over the narrative: Since the protests died down last year, the city’s very landscape has changed, leaving familiar places unfamiliar.
📷: Reuters/Lam Yik
"Although social movements are dead in Hong Kong now, the water barriers and the mesh wires are still here to remind us of what happened and the unresolved problems," said Kayla Chan.
"That period was traumatic for everyone in Hong Kong, physically or mentally," Ken Woo said. "You think you didn't do well enough at that time or you blame yourself... If the world doesn’t change, the scars and pain will always be there."
"For those who stay or can't leave, I want them to know we are still here. This office shows them the pro-democracy camp still exists ," District Councilor Jacky Chan said. "What happened in 2019 is very important, something we need to keep remembering..."
Filmmaker Kiwi Chow hopes to finish editing the documentary about the #HongKongProtest later this year.
“The regime wants us to forget. I hope to use my camera to remember,” Chow said. “We are resisting in our memories. We are resisting forgetfulness.”
“We do not want to remember, yet do not dare to forget. People do many things on the side to protect our collective memory,” said journalist Jade Chung, who contributed to “Road to Hong Kong,” a book about the protests.
Chickeeduck owner @chowsiulung said he wants his shop to become a place of hope.
“We want to tell people that we still have free space,” he said. “It’s because we see that they might change history.”
People who want a democratic future for the city are regrouping behind an invisible front line that is harder to disrupt with tear gas and rubber bullets. They are trying to preserve the memory of what happened in #HongKongProtests.
Video by @hongyungyo. reut.rs/3jpPyCo
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In Hong Kong’s Victoria Park, where people had come together for an annual vigil before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, authorities blocked off main parts of the venue and warned people against illegal gatherings. Full Story: reuters.com/world/chinas-t…
Heavy police presence in and around Victoria Park.
"To remember is to resist," prominent Chinese human rights lawyer @tengbiao told Reuters from the United States. "If nobody remembers, the suffering of the people will never stop and the perpetrators will continue their crimes with impunity."
#NSL: A Hong Kong court on Friday increased a jail sentence to five years, in line with a China-imposed national security law, for a student who called for independence from China in posts on the Telegram messaging service. reuters.com/world/china/ho…
Lui Sai-yu, 25, an engineering undergraduate at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, was charged with inciting secession in April 2021 with messages calling for "acts to be taken to unlawfully change the regime" in Hong Kong.
He has been in detention since September 2020, after police raided his flat and found a pepper ball gun, meant for firing irritant powder for self-defence, an extendable police baton, two military knives and protective gear.
Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai and nine other pro-democracy activists are expected to be sentenced on Friday after they were found guilty of participating in unauthorised assemblies during #HongKongProtests in 2019. reut.rs/2Q5JToJ
Lai was found guilty in two separate trials earlier in April for illegal assemblies on Aug. 18 and Aug. 31 2019, respectively. He is scheduled for two more court mentions, including collusion with a foreign country and a fraud case.
In the Aug. 18 case, District Court judge Amanda Woodcock found him guilty together with Martin Lee, Margaret Ng, Lee Cheuk-yan, Albert Ho, Leung Kwok-hung, Cyd Ho, Au Nok-hin and Leung Yiu-chung. The latter two had pleaded guilty.
In an interview with Reuters in May, Lai pledged to stay in Hong Kong and continue to fight for democracy. “What I have, this place gave me, I will fight on till the last day. It will be (an) honour if I ... sacrifice,” said Lai, choking up at times. reut.rs/2XdxGiw
Police is searching Apple Daily’s Office. According to the Apple Daily’s livestream, police said they'll collect personal information and job nature of all staff. #NationalSecurityLaw
Nearly a year after Henry and Elaine were first arrested, the newlyweds were tried on charges of rioting, an offense carrying a penalty of up to 10 years in jail. We followed them as they braced for a life apart and learned their fate today.reut.rs/30W88Hx#HongKo…
During the demonstrations, protesters gave Henry the nickname Fu Tong, which means “to go through water.” Elaine was nicknamed Dou Fo, which means “to go through fire.” Literally, the names mean they’ll go through fire and water together.
They didn’t know Natalie before the arrest. Police were firing rounds of tear gas at the time they found her. After helping Natalie to rinse her eyes with saline water, they tried to leave. The trio were arrested by riot police in front of a barbed-wire fence and were tried tgt.