Demonstrators in Hong Kong have been demanding more democratic freedoms, as well as an inquiry into police use of force and the release of detained protesters. As millions have taken to the streets and participated in other actions, clashes between police and protesters have turned violent. Here in the Bay Area, people from Hong Kong have been paying close attention, organizing solidarity actions and strategizing about how to stay involved from afar. “Civic” spoke with two members of the Northern California Hong Kong Club, Ken Chan and Claire, who requested only her first name be used to protect her family in Hong Kong from government retribution.
“A lot of people were very shocked when they first announced the national security law. I think it was worse than what people had anticipated. My mom called me and was like, ‘this is such a sad day for Hong Kong. I’m crying for Hong Kong.’ And I think a lot of people felt like, you know, Hong Kong is doomed now.”
— Claire
“Two million people, one million people going on the street in 2019 — we will not see it in the foreseeable future. You can see, even a small gathering in Hong Kong now will get the police reaction right away, either get arrests or get charged. So you can see that the format or the style of the opposition will have to change.”
— Ken Chan
A segment from our radio show and podcast, “Civic.” Listen at 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays at 102.5 FM in San Francisco, or online at ksfp.fm, and subscribe on Apple, Google, Spotify or Stitcher.