Anti-extradition protests in Hong Kong, 9 Jun 2019

(sorry for my broken English, you are welcome to correct me)

(photo was from Reddit)

10th of June NHK news

I was there with the crowd, in the march against the Extradition Bill. My first march was back in year 200X, when I was in secondary school, with my classmates. That one was for the universal and equal suffrage of Chief Executive. After more than a decade we are still asking for the same issue. I was there in the famous Umbrella Movement in 2014, too, but just sitting around like having afternoon tea, under the hot and humid weather, surrounded by kind citizens. I once described the Umbrella Movement “Utopia”, for the calm and peace atmosphere. I think the 2014 movement changed deep inside the community, that made HK people aware the identity crisis were long rooted since before 1997.

It upsets me that after all these years, not a single request had been considered by the officials. But in meantime I realize it is natural, since any regions with a majority of Chinese citizens work in the same way. Chinese culture itself is against Democracy, and probably against Humanity as well. Like how some of my colleagues display their intuitive willingness to be instructed by the Seniors. I was there yesterday to witness another trial that HK citizens struggle for their inherent Chinese DNA.

What first surprised me yesterday, was the age range of the population. There were infants in baby cars with their parents, who must be 3-person family that no one could take care of the baby if the parents go out; and there were elderly citizens that hardly walk, whose hands had to be held by younger helpers. I wondered what was in their mind.

As the police force shut down the gate of Victoria Park — the start point of the march, people in the park were unable to join the march ahead and the late arrived people were unable to enter the park. Apart from that, a bunch of public buses and vehicles were placed outside the park as road blocks. Some young people started to climb over the fences and later elder people followed them.

Since the hot and humid weather, as the 2 hours we trapped inside the park, I saw around 10 people who got sick and had to quit the march. They had to quit before they really enter the march to be accurate. The trapped population were trying to help each other overcome this weather. I had a young girl’s offer to spray sunscreen on my arms; people nearby us share their electric fans; kids were specially taken care, they were gifted electric fans and folded chairs, but the parents often politely rejected. Most of time people were not raging, except the moment we pushed open the police force and their fences. But not to the point that hurt anybody. I noticed there was somebody who join the march alone; and somebody patiently explain how evil the Chinese law is and exchange ideas with strangers. As we slowly walked forwards in march, there were shops on the way that welcomed us to refill water or enjoy the limited cooled air from the shop air-con.

(photo by me)

The annual mega sale of SOGO store was recently taking place. When we were just outside the SOGO store I made joke of it “The march is like 500 thousand people rushing into SOGO for the mega sale”. My husband held a $50 RMB note in pocket in case we need it to bribe the police officers, it was a joke of course. We understand the Chinese culture “成王敗寇” (the winners write history), like the unforgetable Tiananmen Massacre in 1989 was now comment by Mainlander Chinese like “the students campaign was sponsored by foreign countries; the students were stupid”. Chinese textbook even erased the remarkable date. My uncle, who is well educated, held the same comment on the 2014 Umbrella movement. There are brainless people everywhere from time to time. If these people live longer than us that we would have to believe what they say of the unwritten history. I prefer see everything with my eyes. That’s why I was on the street yesterday.

Somebody thinks people on the street must be filled with anger. It turns out the majority were like us, calm and tolerant. Maybe if the police force were trying to harm me I would be fighting back? I am not sure. Indeed, I am one of the force to push open the police fences, though there was no raging in me. It was purely purpose-driven, I just wanted to get out. I thanked the police officers afterwards. Some protesters stayed until morning of the next day. I witnessed all these today, I will make myself remember.