Hin | An arrested protester - When being young is a crime
Despite his young age, Hin has already been arrested twice. Even with several charges on him, he still stands as the vanguard of numerous protests without fear. For the sake of Hong Kong, he brushes off the many insults and taunts thrown at him by the Hong Kong Police Force.
“This is a fight we cannot lose; we cannot just throw in the towel and let Hong Kong be forcibly assimilated as part of China. This is my home: I will not leave it and will gladly die for the sake of it.”
In the shadow of the coronavirus, Hongkongers once again took to the streets to fight for democracy. With the looming National Anthem Law and National Security Law, slogans such as “Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times” and “Hong Kong independence is the only way out” instantly became outlawed. However, even with all these odds against us Hongkongers, we will never back down and give up. I was once arrested, charged and witnessed fellow protesters being forced to take refuge in foreign lands, but I’ve never regretted being a part of the frontline of the fight to save Hong Kong.
Stopped and searched, abused and forced to say “Thank you”
The Hong Kong government, in an attempt to allow the Legislative Council to smoothly pass the National Anthem Law on May 27th, decided to begin fortifying around Hong Kong Island starting on the night of 26th. In the early hours of the 27th, several of my peers and I had already been stopped and searched by riot police six times. Unfortunately, it was more than a simple stop and search, the riot police kept harassing, belittling and hurling insults at us, as well as pointing their firearms at our heads. They kept shouting “Are you trying to get arrested?” and “If you don’t leave now, I will arrest you” while using their body-cams to record our faces.
The abuse was especially aggravated every time a riot police officer discovered that I have a first-aid license. Besides emptying all the contents of my bags onto the floor, the riot police also brutally pushed me around and ordered me to hunker down. They also forced me to unlock my phone and checked the message record on several of my messaging applications (i.e. Whatsapp, Telegram) and browsed the photos on my photo album. Before letting me go, the police officers ordered me to pick up the contents of my bag and forced me to say “Thank you” to them. Every stop and search, ended up with insults worse than the one before. At last, they commanded us to leave Hong Kong Island separately.
Is it a crime to have a first aid kit as a first aider?
In the past year, stop and search has already become so common, no one is paying much heed to it. Last year, as we were leaving a small demonstration venue wearing first aider uniforms and equipment, we were stopped by several uniformed police. Out of the blue, we were charged with “Possession of tools for illegal purposes” and “Unlawful assembly”. Although those charges were ultimately withdrawn, that demonstrated how serious the situation of indiscriminate arresting is in Hong Kong. Packing things up in a park can lead to being arrested for “Unlawful assembly” and possessing a first aid kit as a first aider can lead to charges of “Possession of tools for illegal purposes”. It has reached a point that being young can be considered suspicious and criminal.
There was another time when I was carrying a banner pole for which I was charged with “Possession of an extendable baton”. There is absolutely no resemblance between an expandable baton and my banner pole. Although this indictment is ridiculous and there is close to zero chance for me to be convicted, there is still some psychological burden.
Fellow protesters, how are you doing?
In every clash on the streets, every second goes by in a blur. You might never see the fellow protesters you’ve met in that brief moment ever again. I recall that one night in Mong Kok, after someone threw a Molotov cocktail to slow the advancement of the police force, someone shouted “The riot police are advancing!” and everybody began to flee. After getting to safety, I realized that several of the fellow protesters were apprehended by the riot police. Our hearts were heavy and I’m sure everyone around me was thinking the same thing: “It could’ve been me.”
I’m afraid, but I will not back down
After the clashes at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, there has been a significant drop in the numbers of frontliners. Some are arrested and have lost their freedom. Some have lost hope and the will to fight. Some of them are stunned by the brutality of the police force. Although there is always fresh blood that is willing to join, the numbers are dwindling. The fear accompanying the uncertainty of the city’s fate is very understandable. However, this is a fight we cannot lose; we cannot just throw in the towel and let Hong Kong be forcibly assimilated as part of China. This is my home: I will not leave it and will gladly die for the sake of it.
Though caught between a rock and a hard place, I truly hope that the frontliners are willing to take up arms again and continue to protect our homeland. As for newcomers, I hope you can protect yourself and keep a cool head at all times. “Wrap yourself up” to keep your identity anonymous, as we are treading dangerous water here. As long as we stand together and fight fiercely, I believe one day, good news will travel through the streets of Hong Kong.
Resist until our last breath.
“I am Hin, I am a HKer.”
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[*1] Umbrella Movement: From September to December 2014, there was a civil movement pursuing the direct election of the Chief Executive of Hong Kong by citizens and the elimination of the functional constituencies.
[*2] Anti-Extradition Movement: Protests which began in June 2019 against a bill that would extradite Hongkongers to China for trial.
[*3] ‘Yellow’: People in Hong Kong typically use colours to divide among people with different political stances. ‘Yellow ribbons’ are people who are pro-democracy and would criticise the government.
[*4] Pepe the Frog: Despite being a symbol of white supremacy and hate in the US, Pepe has become a symbol of solidarity for the pro-democracy Anti-Extradition Movement in Hong Kong.
[*5] NMSLese: Delusional Mainland Chinese who blindly support the CCP. Some Chinese netizens, when facing opposing opinions online, would say the slang NMSL (the abbreviation of ‘Ni Ma Si Le’, which means ‘your mom is dead’). It is often used when they cannot win the argument logically. These overly sensitive Chinese people are then mocked as NMSLese.