It just so happened that I
was flying to Hong Kong at a time when the former British colony was undergoing
something nobody had ever expected to see on its streets. Instead of the usual
commercial and financial hustle and bustle, its major streets on districts like
Causeway Bay, Admiralty, Mong Kok and Tsim Sha Tsui were cordoned off and
barricaded because the Chinese government had a different understanding of how
elections should be.
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Copyright photo: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN |
I had a front-row seat to history unfolding
before the world that started two weeks before my arrival. Whatever my agenda
for coming to Hong Kong was, the Umbrella Revolution took precedence as it
occupied most of my time there. These are what my viewfinder saw...
Signs
Signs are a staple in any rally but some are more
creative than others and very reflective of the generation to which it belongs.
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Copyright photo: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN |
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Copyright photo: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN |
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Copyright photo: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN |
Symbols
The protests were heavy on symbolisms to carry their
message across.
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Copyright photo: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN |
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Copyright photo: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN |
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Copyright photo: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN |
The tide of public (and perhaps) world opinion turned
against the Chinese government when the police used pepper spray and tear gas
on the demonstrators. One self-proclaimed neutral local regrets that action
saying, “The protesters were just sitting. They were not doing anything violent.
So why the need?”
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Copyright photo: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN |
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Copyright photo: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN |
Security
Did I feel safe when I was
there? Yes, because Hong Kong is generally a safe place but of course, I was
still careful as one can’t tell when emotions are high. That’s why I only went out during
day time between 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. The only time I went out at dark was 7 p.m. One protestor even warned me about cases of groping.
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Copyright photo: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN |
I did ask the police if
there are places where I am not allowed and they basically told me to roam free
to do whatever I want and go wherever I want.
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Copyright photo: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN |
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Copyright photo: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN |
Basic services were either
diverted or temporarily suspended for security’s sake. Hong Kong’s famous trams
were haphazard in their services. I usually take them when I am in Hong Kong as
I enjoy seeing the sights but they were mostly nowhere to be found. On my first
day, I felt stupid for waiting at the stop for several minutes all by my lonely
self until the realization dawned on me.
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Copyright photo: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN |
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Copyright photo: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN |
Students et al
If we were to believe the
media, we would think that only students were angry at the Chinese government.
In fact, the people I met were mostly professionals.
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Copyright photo: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN |
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Copyright photo: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN |
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Copyright photo: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN |
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Copyright photo: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN |
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Copyright photo: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN |
Support services
I think this is what makes the protests human. There were activities that made it possible for people to still go on with their lives
although some businesses were very much stifled.
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Copyright photo: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN |
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Copyright photo: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN |
There was even a class
session. I tried to find out if the one conducting the class was a professional teacher
but his listeners just shrugged their shoulders with a sheepish smile.
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Copyright photo: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN |
The few students that I was able to talk to said they’re not marked as absent in school as there are classes where attendance is not mandatory. They can still submit their assignment and they do it online.
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Copyright photo: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN |
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Copyright photo: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN |
This isn't trash but rather donated materials for anyone in need like umbrellas, tents, food, medicine,
etc. with no questions asked. I was offered free breakfast while I was mingling
with them.
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Copyright photo: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN |
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Copyright photo: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN |
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Copyright photo: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN |
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Copyright photo: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN |
Don’t feel sorry for these
chains as only their view was blocked. It was still business as usual for them.
Sightseers
and selfies
When I went there with my
camera, at first, I felt unsure. I didn’t want to come off as disrespectful of
what they were fighting for. But there were people doing selfies so the concern
disappeared as I documented the struggle as well as tried to have some selfies
of my own. One refused to take my photo saying he was busy although he was just
standing, doing nothing. His video camera attached to a tripod was not even turned
on. Hope his battery died before he could turn it on.
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Copyright photo: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN |
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Copyright photo: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN |
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Copyright photo: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN |
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Copyright photo: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN |
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Copyright photo: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN |
Sightseers and onlookers
could also show their support by leaving notes that were provided for everyone to
use.
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Copyright photo: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN |
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Copyright photo: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN |
But this guy didn’t bother
to pick up any writing instrument to show his support. He just made a literal
shout-out to the cheers of the protesters.
-THE
PARANOID TRAVELER
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