THE MOVEMENT BEHIND THE STORY
Understanding the Hong Kong Protests
Our production, Youth In Flames is inspired by the courageous and resilient stories that emerged from the Hong Kong protests. These events not only shaped the lives of millions but also sparked conversations about freedom, democracy, and identity. Below, we’ve included trusted resources to help you explore the historical and ongoing significance of this movement.
THE FACTS
Hong Kong is former British colony which was handed back to China in 1997. From that time, Hong Kong has worked under the ‘Basic Law’, the principle being ‘one country, two systems’. For the next 50 years, Hong Kong’s judicial and legal system would be separate to China, including rights for freedom of assembly, freedom of press, and freedom of speech. This has been set to expire in 2047.
In April 2019, Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam proposed an extradition bill that would have allowed for criminal suspects from Hong Kong to be extradited to mainland China under certain circumstances. This triggered mass civil protests from the Hong Kong public, arguing that the bill would give China greater influence over Hong Kong whilst targeting activists and journalists.
What began as a response to the bill, soon evolved into broader demonstrations against police actions, calls for democracy and growing anguish over Beijing's increasing influence. Protestors demanding independent investigations into police conduct, amnesty for arrested participants and the removal of the "riot" label from their movement.
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STILLS FROM THE MOVEMENT
