#PoliceState #Resistance
Hongkonger defends liberty in face of police threat

At East Point Road outside Island Beverley Shopping Centre, Hong Kong police made multiple attempts to drive a citizen away.

Insisting his right and flouting Police’s threat, the man stood in front of the shopping center and read a newspaper.

Source: Resistance Live Media #Oct1

#PoliticalOppression
RTHK Staff Rally to Support Journalist: We Are All #NabelaQoser

Source: Stand News #Jan28

Read more
⬇️⬇️⬇️
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/28441

#Resistance #Solidarity
#RTHK Staff Union Rally to Support Journalist: We Are All #NabelaQoser

On January 28, 2021, more than 60 RTHK employees protested at the headquarters against the station's mistreatment of the journalist Nabela Qoser.

The video shows RTHK staff wearing a mask of Qoser's face and chanting slogans like, “Groundless charges”, and “Politics overriding professionalism”.

Watch video: https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/28440

The management of the public broadcaster had previously launched a probe into complaints made against Qoser, after she enraged Beijing loyalists with her critical questions towards government officials and the Chief Executive Carrie Lam, during the Anti-ELAB movement in 2019.

Qoser was cleared of wrongdoing, but RTHK reopened its investigation in October 2020 and extend Qoser's probation period as a civil servant.

On January 22, 2021, Qoser's contract as a civil servant was terminated by RTHK, which reportedly cited the probe as a reason. Instead, Qoser was offered a new 120-day contract.

The RTHK Programme Staff Union decried the broadcaster’s move as something no difference than firing Qoser.

Source: Stand News #Jan28
https://www.facebook.com/standnewshk/videos/871769913675684

#RTHK #CivilServant #PoliticalOpression #Journalism #Professionalism #PressFreedom #Reprisal

HK Documentary about #PolyUSiege Wins Grand Prize at International Documentary Festival in Japan

The documentary "Inside the Red Brick Wall", chronicling the 13-day police siege of #PolyU during the #AntiELAB movement, has won the grand prize at Japan's #Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival. This honor has never been won by a Hong Kong film in its three-decade history, until now.

The film was selected as the best Hong Kong film of 2020 by the Hong Kong Film Critics Society. However, it had been shunned by local cinemas after pro-government media labeled it anti-police and anti-government. Its premiere was cancelled only hours before its showing by the hosting cinema.

The panel of judges noted that the documentary showed citizens and students being trapped by the police inside Polytechnic University; it documented the reality of youngsters, including minors, as they faced these dire circumstances, whether or not they had food. Live footage also showed photographers being fired upon within the campus

[editor's note: according to statistics from Hong Kong Journalists Association, 3 journalists had been shot with pepper balls at close range].

The film itself carries historical significance.

The film's directors, listed as "Hong Kong Documentary Filmmakers", thanked the organizers through a pre-recorded video. They said that under Hong Kong's current oppressive environment, they must regroup and be formless like water, but believed that "we'll walk together again".

"To all who believe in freedom", they added, "The only response to oppression is resistance. We will keep moving, and keep on filming."

Source: Citizen News #Oct13
https://bit.ly/3awuc0v

#Film #Documentary #Resistance #ProtestArt #FilmFestival

#Art #Creativity
Activists Preserve HK's Tiananmen Memorial Pillar in Digital 3D Model: "They Can't Silence Us All"

In October 2021, the University of Hong Kong (#HKU) demanded the Danish creator Jens Galschiøt to remove the statue which has been on display on campus since 1998.

An activist group had digitally scanned the #PillarofShame and made the 3D model publicly available, in an effort to preserve the statue commemorating the pro-democracy protesters killed during the 1989 Tiananmen massacre in Beijing.

Thre group "Lady Liberty HK" announced the release of the publicly accessible file in a Facebook post on October 29, 2021.

"The 3D file preserves details including every face on the statue, #JensGalschiøt's signature, the writings and plates on the base," said the post.

While Galschiøt, the statue's creator, had made similar pillars commemorating other ignominious events in other countries, all pillars are unique.

This 3D model therefore represents "THE Pillar of Shame that belongs to Hong Kong."

The original Pillar had been placed on permanent display inside Hong Kong University's campus since 1998. However, HKU had recently demanded its removal, a move that drew condemnation from civic groups worldwide, as well as Galschiot, the statue's creator and owner. He had called on Hong Kong citizens to, in the event that the statue is demolished, gather as many pieces as they could, so that it could be rebuilt elsewhere in the world.

Echoing the artist's call, the group Lady Liberty HK wrote: "If one day #HKU act in accomplice to Hong Kong Gov. and the CCP and removes the statue, anyone in the world can still view it online and recreate it."

The group takes its name from the 4m-tall statue of a Hong Kong protester, which it created and displayed during the 2019 Anti-ELAB Movement, but had been destroyed by unidentified individuals. The group had also published the model file for the statue; one 3D-printed replica is now preserved in the collections of the Museum of New Zealand.

Source: Lady Liberty HK Facebook #Oct30

https://www.facebook.com/LadyLibertyHongKong/posts/647090700010700

#Resistance #3DModel #PreservingHistory #LadyLibertyHK

#2022NewYear #NeverGiveUp
#Hongkongers create human chain and cheer “May Glory to Hong Kong” amidst white terror and #CCP grip

In Hong Kong, on New Year's eve (December 31, 2021), many citizens went up to the #LionRock to count down to the year 2022. Among them, some brought neon light signs that read “GLORY HK” and “FREE HK”.

While some citizens on the site were occupied taking pictures, others lighted up their handphones to form a human chain. Just like the pro-democracy “Hong Kong Way” demonstration in 2019, a line of human chain was soon created, displaying the outline of Lion Rock with the light from the mobile phones.

Together Hongkongers counted down and cheered “May glory to Hong Kong” to welcome 2022.

Watch the video:
https://youtu.be/5iBypsfJaL8

On the hilltop, some elderly walked by and uttered words of encouragement to the youngsters, “hang on,” “don’t give up”, while others passed on drinks to them.

Down the hill, some citizens raised laser pointers and pointed towards the hill top to echo and show their support.

[Editors' notes: Inspired by the Baltic human chain in 1989, the “Hong Kong Way” was organized by pro-democracy HongKongers in August 2019 during the #AntiELAB Movement.

The human chain expresses Hongkongers' yearning for freedom and basic human rights. Tens of thousands of Hongkongers lined up on pavements, overpasses, waterfronts and parks, snaking a line of nearly 30 miles (50km) long through Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories.

Source: Boomhead; #Jan1

#FreeHK #GlorytoHongKong #HumanChain #HongKongWay #NewYear #Solidarity #Perseverance #Resistance

#Court #PoliticalProsecution
#ChowHangTung References #TiananmenMassacre Against Accusations by Hong Kong Authorities

On January 4, 2022, Hong Kong court found Barrister Chow Hang-tung, chairperson of the Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, guilty of "inciting others to join an unauthorized assembly" in 2020 — being the annual June 4th vigil in Victoria Park. The Alliance has been the organizer of the annual candlelight vigil in Hong Kong in commemoration of the victims of the June 4 Tiananmen Massacre in Beijing since 1989.

West Kowloon Magistrate Amy Chan made the ruling according to a newspaper article and two social media posts published by Chow. Chow was sentenced to 15 months in jail. In addition to the sentence for another June 4 case, Chow will be jailed for 22 months in total.

As Chow defended herself, her speech won applause from the attendees of the court session.

Chow pointed out how commemorating June 4 was turned from the "bottomline of conscience" to a "dangerous red line". Following the removal https://bit.ly/3zoJArf June 4 related monuments and the closure of Stand News and Citizen News, this left no room to publicly talk about the 1989 June 4 Tiananmen Massacre. Nevertheless, Chow said that she believes in the power of words, "Words have life which cannot be determined by the authorities nor the court." Chow said she would continue to speak up, regardless of the sentence.

In her conclusive statement, Chow cited the testimonies of the families of the Tiananmen Massacre and recounted how military tanks ran over civilians and pro-democracy protesters on the streets of Beijing in 1989. The judge interrupted Chow, questioning the relevance to the case. Chow said the victims of the Tiananmen Massacre are the victims of the case, "their voices should be heard in court more than mine."

The attendees of the court session applaused, while the judge ordered the police to "mark down their names and ID card numbers."

Chow concluded, "those who should plead for forgiveness are those executioners who destroyed families and those who called the Pillar of Shame ugly." Chow said she will preserve the candle of June 4 and bear the consequence of white terror.

Source: Ming Pao; InMedia; RTHK #Jan4
#Conscience #Perseverance #NeverGiveUp #Resistance #June4 #Alliance

#ChowHangTung‘s fiancé writes open letter: “When winter is here, spring is not too far away”

On January 4, 2022, Hong Kong court sentenced Barrister Chow Hang-tung, chairperson of the Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, to 15 months in jail for “inciting others to join an unauthorized assembly” in 2020. Said assembly was the annual June 4th vigil held every year since 1989 in Victoria Park, Hong Kong in commemoration of the victims of the June 4 Tiananmen Massacre in Beijing.

Yedu, Chow's fiancee and human rights activist in China, wrote a letter to Chow a few days prior to the court's ruling. The letter was slated to be released by Citizens News, but the news outlet was shut down on January 4, 2022. The letter was at last made public on Facebook.

In the letter, Yedu said a heavy sentence was expected and that rule of law has fallen in Hong Kong. Yedu wrote the letter when former and current management members of Stand News was arrested. "This is the beginning of a long winter," Yedu wrote.

"When winter is here, spring is not too far away,” Yedu also wrote.

Freedom is fragile. According to Yedu, freedom can be “trampled by the regime in a short time,” even that “the right to mourn would be silenced”. A regime does not need citizen, only subjects.

However, seeing how Hongkongers sent letters to Chow and showed support inside and outside of the court, Yedu said, “I can see that people's hearts are not dead yet.”

At last, Yedu cited the lyrics of “Flower of Freedom,” a song dedicated to the pro-democracy protesters who were wounded by or died of the 1989 June 4 Tiananmen Massacre in Beijing:

"However heavy the rain is, the flower of freedom will still bloom.”

On the same day, Chow's personal page was updated with the statement she gave in court on January 4, 2022:

"The only way to defend the freedom of speech is to keep talking."

Source: InmediaHK #Jan5

#Court #PoliticalProsecution
#Resistance #Yedu #Alliance #NeverGiveUp

=====
Related News

Chow Hang Tung References #TiananmenMassacre Against Accusations by Hong Kong Authorities
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/31821

#Solidarity #Resistance
Hong Kong Singers Respond to Difficult Times and Encourage #Hongkongers Not to Give Up Their Beliefs

In the annual Ultimate Song Chart Awards Presentation organized by Commercial Radio Hong Kong on January 1, 2022, several singers expressed words of encouragement to Hongkongers in their thank you speech, addressing the difficult times faced by the locals.

Vincy Chan whose song was named to one of the Top Ten in 2021, said on stage, "As long as we can cross over, there is a future. Uphold our beliefs, never give up -- we must hang on."

Stephanie Cheng, whose song titled "Drink more water" was named Top 4 in the 2021 music chart, expressed that the past year was a difficult one. She then said, "[we need to] be strong in order to overcome... It doesn't mean there is nothing one can do when in a fragile state. Take good care of ourself, then we will find hope. Hope everyone will not give up."

In response to the immigration wave out of Hong Kong, RubberBand, a local band, received the grand award for a song about farewell called "Ciao". While the drummer Ah Wai said the song is deidicated to all Hongkongers whenever they are, his fellow band member Lai Man added, "the truth will prevail." Ah Wai also expressed hope for reunion one day, despite having said goodbye. At last, vocal "no. 6" Mau Hou Cheong said, "We must live on, no matter you are staying in Hong Kong or you choose to leave. This song is dedicated to all Hongkongers. Thank you, Hongkongers. We are always Hongkongers."

At last, MC $OHO and KidNey, a two-men rapper group which was awarded the Silver Prize in the newcomer (band) catergory, said they need to thank the management of their agency. They continued, "because management is very important. There are so many problems in Hong Kong all because it is not well managed."

Source: CNews #Jan1

#Cantopop #HongKongMusic #HongKongSingers #NeverGiveUp #RubberBand #Trial&Error #VincyChan #StephanieChiang

#FirstHand #June4
Assembly in #London: #Hongkongers and #Ulkranians In Solidarity

Photo album: https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/32822

At Downing Street, London on June 4th, 2022, Hongkongers and Ukrainians organized a fight against dictatorship assembly. The solidarity movement voices support for the fight for freedom across mainly Hongkongers and Ukrainians.

Exiled activist #NathanLaw, a former legislator in Hong Kong and the founder of #Demosisto, was the first guest speaker of the event. He said to the crowd, "no matter where we are from, we are all escaping from the dictatorship regime."

He said that not only Ukrainians but also Hongkongers have been following the Russian invasion news.

Carman Lau Ka-Man, a former Wong Tai Sin District Councillor in 2019, was the next one to speak, urging overseas Hongkongers to do more when they were able to and to help those in Hong Kong who are suffering in jail or under suppression.

"Perhaps 1989 seems quite long ago, but let's not forget what we did in the year of 2019."

#BenedictRoger, the founder of #HongKongWatch, brings a yellow umbrella to the event, saying the umbrella is not only for rainy weather, but also to symbolise the dignity of the people who fight for democracy and the movement against dictatorship regime.

A Ukrainian representative spoke and emphasised that Ukraine is a geographic buffer between Russia and Europe, protecting the whole Europe from Russia. She urged the world to stop using fuel supplied by Russia in order to stand with Ukraine.

Related News
Remembering June 4th in #Japan
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/32814

#Resistance #Solidarity #FightForFreedom #RussianInvasion #CCP