A historical event took place in Hong Kong on Tuesday. The annual July 1st rally has drawn more attention than ever this year, as tensions have been rising between central government and Hong Kong democratic groups, which some would say have been building for years since the handover. Other recent events, like the release and reception of Beijing’s white paper and Beijing’s consequent remarks on the matter ignited a growing sense of discontent in the city, which culminated in what is estimated to be the biggest protest in Hong Kong history.
While the protest is generally a fairly well attended event, the controversies that preceded the march led to a staggeringly huge turnout, the likes of which had not been seen since 2003. This is incredibly significant, as the 2003 march was the first to draw large public attention and press coverage. It was estimated to be attended by some 500,000 people, which until very recently was the highest protest attendance in Hong Kong. The 2003 march is also famous for successfully opposing the introduction of Article 23 of the Hong Kong Basic Law, a security law that prohibited treason, secession, sedition and subversion against the central government. Hongkongers feared that this would lead to the loss of various freedoms that set Hong Kong apart from Mainland China, like the freedom of speech.
Coconuts, along with many other outlets, predicted that this year’s protest would make waves and could not miss out on the action. We joined in the protest to gauge the atmosphere and get the inside scoop.
The march began at 3pm in Victoria Park but hundreds and thousands gathered in Causeway Bay before the march began to get an early start. They began singing a Cantonese version of the Les Mis song ‘Do You Hear The People Sing’. While it is a song befitting of the situation (given the revolutionary democratic context of Les Misérables), the Cantonese version has been adapted to make it unique to Hong Kong.
Here is a translation via Real HK News:
Who has yet to speak up?
We all have the responsibility to defend our city.
We are born with the rights and have the desire to be in charge of our own land.
Who would surrender to suppression and remain silent.
Who has not been woken up?
The sound of freedom is spreading.
Waking up our consciences which we shall never forget
Why is a sweet dream still a dream, and many still hope that our dream would be granted by others?
It is easy for us to tell black from white and right from wrong!
To defend the future of our next generation, we must open our eyes now!
No one should remain silent, and watch Hong Kong to be turned red!
Ask ourselves then use our own hands to fight for a future we have a vote in!
We are humans, we have the responsibility and freedom to choose and shape our future!
The sheer volume of the crowd, along with the small number of open lanes meant that there was soon a bottleneck in Causeway Bay that left people stuck in Victoria Park for hours on end.
The contradictory actions of the police led some to believe that they were deliberately being trapped in the area as a means of controlling the protesters. People were chanting for the lanes to be opened as their frustration grew.
Eventually some crowds broke free and started marching in the traffic lanes, engulfing vehicles in their wake and rendering them stationary. This photo was taken from the 37th (!!) floor of a nearby building.
The heavens opened at around 18.00, drenching protesters in a much needed reprieve from the stifling heat, and bringing out the now much documented sea of umbrellas.
At the People Power stand in Wanchai, the MCs are riling up the crowd and leading them in chanting unflattering rhymes about Chief Executive CY Leung, who is also mocked by the presence of the famous Ikea Wolf toy, which was famously thrown at CY ‘The Wolf’ Leung last year in a symbolic attack.
People also carry signs slamming ‘689’ (CY Leung’s nickname, which refers to the number of people who voted him into power), effigies of the finance council that passed the funding for the Northeast New Territories project, and sarcastic signs thanking the Chinese Communist Party for spurring Hong Kong into ‘explosive action’.
The organisers of the march, the Civil Human Rights Front, have a stand in Wanchai where they are encouraging people photograph themselves holding a sign that says ‘I thought of you at the 07.01 protest: are you happy with Hong Kong today?’ and share the photo with their friends.
People Power and members of the crowd provide a couple more quality soundbites which essentially sum up the general tone of the protesters:
People also cheer for Long Hair, a well known and beloved democratic politician who was recently jailed, to the dismay of many.
People Power then urge people to join in the peaceful sit-in in Central and Admiralty after the protest, organised by student group Scholarism.
Police interference and the number of protesters mean that the last group from People Power only depart Victoria Park at 7pm.
Hilariously, various bridges and overpasses that overlook the protest path have had their views obscured as if that’ll stop people from realising what’s going on…same goes for the cut-price K-pop concert organised by the government to distract young people from the political protest.
Despite the movement being embroiled in so many unpleasant events – violent police action, reactions ranging from apathy to intimidation from the Chinese and Hong Kong governments, and the attack on Scholarism’s Joshua Wong, Hongkongers are still in remarkably good spirits and showing steely tenacity. Hongkongers’ sense of freedom may be diminishing, but to everyone present, it’s apparent that we won’t go without a fight.
Photos: Annette Chan, Coconuts Hong Kong
