Reflections from a Revolution
Photographs and interviews by Mark Leong, Redux
The students who took to Hong Kong’s streets in the fall of 2014 were equal parts angry, hopeful, and innocent. For almost three months they and other pro-democracy activists blocked traffic, camped out on roads, and pressed Beijing for free and fair elections.
From the start, students played a key role. In September, the Hong Kong Federation of Students, a coalition of university student unions, and Scholarism, a group founded by high-school students, held a weeklong student strike that led to a tense standoff with authorities at Civic Square, outside the Hong Kong government’s headquarters. After the police used tough tactics to break up the crowd, the protests grew as many Hong Kong residents expressed shock at the violent crackdown. At its peak, more than 100,000 people joined the demonstration, which became known as the Umbrella Revolution for the umbrellas activists used to ward off tear gas.
The movement captured the world’s attention, yet its victories were mostly symbolic. Ultimately, Hong Kong and China’s leaders did not budge. In early December, after several students went on hunger strikes and police made a final round of arrests, the movement was over.
These are the portraits of 10 students and the stories, in their own words, of why they fought for political change and a better future.
Photographed in a U. of Hong Kong classroom wearing the gear he wore when confronting the police.
I am now a member of Hong Kong Indigenous. I am one of just a couple students in this organization of 30 core members. We were formed in January by young people born in the 90s. We believe the older democratic groups don’t put enough pressure on the government. They follow the peaceful movement of Martin Luther King. We follow Malcolm X — “by any means necessary.”
I did not plan to be an activist. Originally I had an internship with a small marketing company. I gave up this work because they were doing movie promotions in China, and I was not sure I would be able to travel there.
If we want real universal suffrage, we need a more radical way. We can’t care about our lives, if we really want to achieve our goal. If we need to raise awareness or promote an issue, a march is fine. If we need pressure, then we start confrontation, like occupying the legislature. If the police use violence — pepper spray, batons — we must fight back.
In the movement, I was a peaceful protester until November 30. It was one of the last actions by the HKFS, calling for the protesters to block the government HQ exits. We were beaten up. Two classmates were arrested. Three more were injured. I saw blood on their faces because the police were swinging at their heads. My first reaction was hate.
There is a Chinese saying: “using force to control violence.” After what I witnessed on November 30, I changed my ideology. Civil disobedience is too weak versus violence. In order to stop the violence we must be more forceful. We need the police to recognize we are radical protesters who will fight back.
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