[ NO VICTORY FOR HONG KONG (yet) ] To my friends outside of Hong Kong,
You may have heard that the protestors have won: the government will withdraw the extradition bill, and we've gotten what we want. THIS IS NOT TRUE. We have five demands for the administration since the beginning, and retracting the bill at this time is too little, too late. The protests will continue, and this is why:
We protested because the bill would make everybody a potential victim of Mainland China's deeply unjust legal system. But what we've seen from the government's actions since June, is that the rule of man has already taken over in Hong Kong. The things we wanted to prevent in our city is already happening, bill or no bill:
FOR EXAMPLE: You can be tackled to the ground by the police just for shouting "Where is your conscience?" across the street. If you're arrested, you will be tortured, and forcibly undressed and humiliated by a cop while many more stand by and watch. You can be fired for supporting the protest on Facebook due to pressure from Beijing. If you're a student, you may have the cops called on you and your name submitted to the Education Bureau, just for wearing a mask as a sign of protest.
None of those things have made international headlines, but they are just a few of the countless acts of terror that happened within a span of ~90 days.
That is why withdrawing the bill at this stage changes nothing. Without a systemic change, and measures to hold the police and administration accountable, Hong Kong's problems will persist. And so the protests will go on. We do it because we can't let Hong Kong sink any lower.
Fight for Freedom, Stand with Hong Kong.
The Five Demands:
1. Full withdrawal of the Extradition Bill
2. An independent commission of inquiry into alleged police brutality
3. Retracting the classification of protesters as “rioters”
4. Amnesty for arrested protesters
5. Dual universal suffrage (for both the Legislative Council and the Chief Executive)
