The Hong Kong Way of protest

Just a very small part of the very long chains formed 

by participants of the Hong Kong Way this evening

 Thank you, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia,

for inspiring us with your Baltic Way of 1989

At lunchtime today, thousands of accountants -- yes, accountants! -- marched through the streets of central Hong Kong to voice their opposition to the not-yet-withdrawn extradition bill that would allow people in Hong Kong to be legally extradited to Mainland China from more than just the West Kowloon Terminus of the cross-border Express Rail Link.  Then, this evening, Hong Kongers took a page from an amazing show of unity cum mega political demonstration which took place 30 years ago in the Baltic states of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia to form their own "human chains" along northern Hong Kong Island and on the other side of Victoria Harbour as far west as Kwai Hing and as far east as Lam Tin, and for good measure, all the way up to the top of the iconic Lion Rock peak! 

The Hong Kong Way was yet another creative -- and peaceful -- way for Hong Kongers to come together and collectively voice their grievances against the government (including the police).  It also constituted a show of unity and strength for a protest movement that began with people turning up as far back as March 31st for a protest march against the proposed extradition bill but really got going in early June, with a 1 million-strong protest march on the 9th of that month.  

Some 75 days on, the protests clearly still have the support of a good percentage of Hong Kongers; as can be seen by enough people turning out to clog miles and miles of streets as well as Victoria Park on a stormy afternoon last Sunday and what must be tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of people turning up in -- and from -- various parts of the territory to take part in the Hong Kong Way this evening.  Furthermore, a good number of people passing by my section of the Hong Kong Way this evening -- be it in trams, buses, taxis or private cars, or on motorbikes, bicycles or foot -- were showing their support by doing such as vocally shouting out their encouragement, tooting their vehicles' horns and, in the case of a bus driver, putting up "Eye4HK" messages where one usually sees route information being indicated on his vehicle.

One might be moved to wonder why those people didn't actually take part in this protest even though they support it.  Sadly, fear clearly is a factor; what with Beijing pressuring many companies to toe the line, including by firing employees who take part in protests, even those that are legal and Beijing-backed -- not just pro-Beijing -- thugs targeting protesters (but often ending up indiscriminately attacking people in the area).  Indeed, it was quite noticeable this evening that a number of passengers on passing buses and trams sought to show their support of the Hong Kong Way in ways that wouldn't draw too much attention from the other passengers seated near them.

In contrast, the one bus passenger who decided to show his opposition to the protest by flipping us the bird did so very openly as well as rudely -- though he wasn't brave enough to accept our suggestion that he come down from his perch on the upper deck and off the bus into our midst!  And for the record: a convoy of taxis with big China flags sticking from them also drove by us; many of them empty of passengers and, strangely, with their "For hire" signs still on!

Rather than dampen our spirits though, the sight of those taxis actually got Hong Kong protesters displaying our distinctive sense of humor once more since they got greeted by shouts -- in English -- of "Free China"!  And to put things in context: over the course of the two hours that this event took place, taxis also did drive by whose drivers showed their support of the protesters by honking their horns in a particular pattern that we've come to recognize and giving the thumbs up signal.

In a bid to (further) raise international awareness of this protest movement that's now also calling for genuine universal suffrage for Hong Kong, there were orchestrated shouts of English of "Free Hong Kong" and "Democracy now" (along with other chants in Cantonese, the most popular on the night of which was "Hong Kong yan, ga yau!").  There also were attempts to get people to belt out the original English version of Do You Hear the People Sing? (rather than the Cantonese one).  Still, it has to be said that people seemed far more comfortable singing another song that's come to be associated with Hong Kong pro-democracy protests: Beyond's Boundless Oceans, Vast Skies; a beautiful English version of which exists, courtesy of a Brazilian man! :)