Protests in Hong Kong have reignited in response to the new security law that was proposed on May 21 in Beijing, which would “ban acts and activities in connection to secession, subversion and terrorism, as well as activities related to foreign interference.” Since the legislation was largely approved by China’s rubber-stamp legislature on May 28, with only one voting against the law, protesters continue to resist China’s strengthening grip on their freedoms and rights as a semi-autonomous state under the guidance of “one country, two systems.” This policy is slowly but effectively being deteriorated by the new security law which would suppress dissent in Hong Kong. While social distancing guidelines are still in effect, protesters have disregarded them to organize on the streets of Hong Kong.
Even though Hong Kong’s leader, Carrie Lam, has said the legislation “aims to prevent, curb and sanction an extremely small minority of criminals who threaten national security, safeguarding the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong and maintaining ‘one country, two systems,’” the protesters feared their civil liberties were under attack. Lam may argue that Hong Kong’s semi-autonomous status is firm, but U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo affirmed on May 27 that, “No reasonable person can assert today that Hong Kong maintains a high degree of autonomy from China, given facts on the ground.” And while the Trump administration and mainstream media are quick to applaud Hong Kong protesters for standing up for democracy and condemn China, many of the same people and institutions are criticizing Americans for protesting the recent murder of George Floyd by a police officer. Since the start of Hong Kongers’ mass demonstrations in June 2019, protesters have used the United States as a symbol of democracy and freedom.
On May 24, “Large crowds had begun peacefully marching up Hennessy Road when police fired multiple rounds of tear gas within 30 minutes of the protest’s official start time.” During the protest, police repeatedly fired tear gas, pepper spray and rubber bullets even though the gatherings were largely peaceful. The demonstrations, even during the COVID-19 pandemic, convey that this protest was a necessary measure taken to prevent further erasure of Hong Kong’s “one country, two systems” principle at the hands of China’s Communist Party.
The U.S. has been supportive and encouraging of the protesters in Hong Kong, even in cases of sporadic violence and rioting, a message that has not been followed domestically. Hu Xijin, the editor of the nationalist Chinese tabloid the Global Times, was quick to point out the hypocrisy of the U.S. in a series of tweets. “Now they can witness it by their home windows," Xijin wrote. "I want to ask Speaker Pelosi and Secretary Pompeo: Should Beijing support protests in the U.S., like you glorified rioters in Hong Kong?” His comments come after the culmination of U.S. threats of sanctions on Hong Kong due to its faltering autonomy. Yet, the protests do not seem to be stopping anytime soon despite China’s harshening crackdown.
Hanna Ditinsky
is a sophomore at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and is majoring in English and minoring in Economics. She was born and raised in New York City and is passionate about human rights and the future of progressivism.