Hong Kong's Umbrella Movement, 10 Years Later

October 13, 2024 7:39 AM

The protest anthem Glory to Hong Kong has been banned this year under Hong Kong's National Security Law, which criminalizes advocating for "secession from China" or "seditious activities. Looking back, Hong Kongers reflect on where they started, and where they are now: “I thought 2014 was shit at that time, but compared to 2019 it was just a piece of cake,” she says. “I was so naive, believing the government would be sensible, respect people’s voice, and abide by the promise in the Basic Law. But now I can say I was totally wrong.” HKFreePress follows up on 12 leaders of the protest movement and where they are today. Founder of defunct Apple Daily Jimmy Lai was denied a request for a jury trial for his libel case against a pro-Beijing newspaper. (Previously, previously, previously.
posted by toastyk (8 comments total)

Before I hurt my heart by reading through this, is there anything in the where are they now part that *isn't* "crushed under the heel of Chinese authoritarianism?"
posted by Wretch729 at 8:12 AM on October 13 [5 favorites]

Some have left for the UK and Taiwan. There are a few in Hong Kong who, after having been arrested a time or two, have been released and live in Hong Kong still. Some have been convicted under the National Security Law and are in prison. Jimmy Lai has bipartisan US support, whatever that's worth.
posted by toastyk at 8:23 AM on October 13 [1 favorite]

Right, but I guess what I meant was more that I read many articles over the last decade about how smart and coordinated and innovative the Hong Kong protesters were, and wouldn't it be great if leftist demonstrators in the US could be that organized etc etc. It's very depressing that it seems like all of that effort essentially failed.
posted by Wretch729 at 12:47 PM on October 13 [3 favorites]

Wretch, all those articles were, not to put too fine a point on it, very dumb. The Hong Kong protests were a self-indulgent theater with zero chance of changing CPC policy to suit the protestors' aim. Serious Hong Kongers scorned the protestors as they brought closer the day that the CPC might end as a matter of principle Hong Kong's independent commercial legal system, free foreign exchanger rules, less restricted travel, access to the foreign internet, etc.
posted by MattD at 1:34 PM on October 13

Matt, who would you consider to be "serious Hong Kongers"
posted by cultanthropologist at 4:33 PM on October 13 [4 favorites]

I remain of the opinion that the most visible sign of Xi becoming hidebound and stuck in his own cult of personality is how HK was treated.

I guess it's a good thing, but I believe that Xi's vision of re-integrating historical China would have been better served by taking a fairly soft hand in HK, and using it as a lure to Taiwan under a promise of "one country, three systems." Instead, the paranoid overreaction has effectively killed what was a growing reunification faction in Taiwanese politics.
posted by tclark at 8:55 PM on October 13

Nearly everyone who was a protester were HongKongers who were born in and raised in Hong Kong, and were genuinely trying to bring about the world they envisioned for themselves. Whether or not they were naive in their beliefs is debatable, but they were all absolutely serious about their goals. Some of them are still protesting and fighting for whatever freedom they can.
posted by toastyk at 8:42 AM on October 14 [3 favorites]

Oh my God it's been 10 years....
posted by subdee at 8:58 AM on October 14