📹 What the world failed to understand from Hongkongers militant activism during the mass protest movement
The rise of militant activism was a direct response to the escalation of police violence from the violent crackdown of the Umbrella Movement in 2014 and Fishball Revolution in 2016.
The world - especially the sympathetic western white audience - admired Hongkongers peaceful, civil disobedience. Almost everyone in the international community applauded our peaceful resistance as a perfect victim.
By the mass protest movement in 2019 - Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) mobilized their arsenal of weapons against children, civilians, journalists, and medics indiscriminately.
The cops broke their own regulations and operational guidelines, ignoring international conventions on journalist and medic safety. Amnesty International released a report titled: HOW NOT TO POLICE A PROTEST
I can already hear the neoliberals: HKPF broken the law, they need to be punished for breaking the law, laws should not be punishing people speaking up.
Without dismissing the importance of an independent judiciary in a democratic society — laws aren’t real, they are just words on a piece of paper, entirely reliant on the state to enforce and uphold.
This is what we mean when we say systemic and institutional oppression. It’s pretty fucking useless to talk about laws when the state and system are inherently unjust and literally was set up to be an oppressive tool.
So back to Hongkongers.. what were the civilians supposed to do while the cops use tear gas, water cannon, assault, torture and abuse against peaceful protestors?
The increase use of militant activism was a reflection of the state’s willingness to use violence as a political oppression tool. It started as a response to community protection: what tactics and tools can help keep peaceful protestors safe while demonstrating against the government?
If state powers are manifesting on the streets as extreme physical violence, then our resistance must also show up physically for the people who are at the most risk and most marginalized.
The militant activism is a direct counter-movement against police, government, and corporate institutions that do not reflect the community’s will. Militant activists undertook direct actions in countering police advancements, interfere and protect those at risk of police violence. While only a small number of activists turned to militant activism, their activism was supported by a network of activists and community members. There are also some anti-capitalist features to Hong Kong’s militant activism (for a later video)
And yes oh yes I am petty because I have not forgiven our own Hongkongers who turned their backs on militant activists throughout the height of the protest movement. Some of them tried to discourage militant mobilization, others failed to defend them during media interviews and in public discourse.
The narrative of riots and violence are taken out of the critique on power. The Hong Kong government, the Hong Kong Police, the Chinese party-state apparatus had disproportionate power over the every day citizens of Hong Kong.
Change does not happen without disruption. Hongkongers’ militant activism and the widespread grassroots support for militant activists - was what scared the Hong Kong authorities: the people rose up to demand change.
Let’s move on from the neoliberal notions of resistance. It’s time we normalize direct action and disruption to resist increased authoritarianism and fascism.
📝📝 Reference List 📝📝
🚩2014 Umbrella Movement
Leonymae Aumentado (2014). “Occupy Central with Love and Peace: The Umbrella Revolution in Photos.” Diplomatic Courier. https://www.diplomaticourier.com/posts/occupy-central-with-love-and-peace-the-umbrella-revolution-in-photos
Chris Buckley and Austin Randy (2014). "Hong Kong Protests are Leaderless but Orderly". The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/01/world/asia/in-hong-kong-clean-and-polite-but-a-protest-nonetheless.html
Karson Yiu (2014). "Main Hong Kong Protests Camp Dismantled by Police". ABC News. https://abcnews.go.com/amp/International/main-hong-kong-protest-camp-dismantled-police/
🚩Perfect Victims
Ilaria Maria Sala (2019). “"Hong Kong’s ‘'Umbrella 9’ have been Convicted For Fighting For Democracy”. Quartz News. https://qz.com/1590149/umbrella-9-hong-kong-convicts-key-democracy-figures
DW News (2018). “Hong Kong Activists Nominated for Nobel Peace Prize”. DW News. https://www.dw.com/en/us-lawmakers-nominate-hong-kong-activists-for-nobel-prize/a-42423701
🚩2016 Fishball Revolution
BBC News (2016). “Hong Kong’s Mok Kok Clashes: More than Fishballs”. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-35529785
🚩2019 Protest Movement
Amnesty International (2019). “How Not to Police a Protest: Unlawful use of Force by Hong Kong Police”. https://www.amnesty.org/fr/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/ASA1705762019ENGLISH.pdf
BBC News (2019). “Hong Kong: Protesters and Police in Fiery Stand-Off at University”. BBC News. "Unr. in shttps://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-50452277.amp
Sophie Beach (2019). "Police Violence Now the Primary Concern of Hong Kong Protestors". China Digital Times. https://chinadigitaltimes.net/2019/09/police-violence-now-primary-concern-of-hong-kong-protesters
Jacob Stokes, Jennifer Staats, and Rachel Vandenbrink (2019). “Hong Kong’s Turn to Violence Divides the Movement”. United States Institute of Peace. https://www.usip.org/publications/2019/07/hong-kongs-turn-violence-divides-movement
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