hongkonggasmask

Truth be told, we need all the help we can get.

Seeing NBA, South Park and Blizzard all getting involved now, gave us a tiny bit of hope that foreign pressure has increased.

And it's not me being selfish, it is also a warning to the West that the Chinese Government is also coming after your freedom and democracy. They will continue to erode your freedom of expression through greedy businesses.

Some of the middle class are planning to leave, they have the means to.

But among the protesters, most if not all of them will not leave, regardless of their background, even if they could. We all have a really strong sense of belonging and identity. For the first time, it's clearer than ever that Hongkongers are a unity, we live and die together, this is the place we want to stay and protect.

And besides, since July 1, we promised each other that we are always together no matter what, if we charge, we charge together; if we run, we run together. We do not leave anyone behind. I know that's not really the case in practice but it's also more than a slogan.

edit: I considered leaving but I don't really have the means and I cannot let myself do nothing when all this is happening right outside my window.

A small scale protest broke out outside my apartment building at night, I joined without wearing any equipment thinking I'd be safer to just run home when shit happens.

As soon as I was 10 meters away from my building's front gate, the police charged from my behind at full speed. So instinctively I ran. I was fast enough that I was not the slowest one, but the unlucky ones got caught behind me. I kept running behind a few younger kids to a park thinking that it would be safe away from the crowd.

But I was wrong.

Apparently half a dozen police had been hiding behind the bushes waiting for an ambush. A big kid in front of my got jumped on the ground by at least 5 police. He let out a big scream the moment he hit the ground with one police kneeling on his chest, and another one on his head. The other 3-4 police started hitting him with their batons the next second. I didn't know that when a baton hit your body and your head, they sound different. When your body is hit, it sounds like something is hitting a cardboard, but when it hits your head, it sounds more like hitting a rock. I can never forget that sound and the kid screaming 'HELP! HELP!'

I would have been caught too if I didn't dodge into another tall bush in the opposite direction. The police were too busy arresting the poor kid and ignored me, so I had the time to witness it.

His scream drove me crazy so I stepped away from the bushes and shouted at the police. 'Stop beating him, he's not resisting!' One of the stopped for a second, looked up directly at me. The dim street light in the park bounced off his eyewear shining like cat eyes in the dark. They were animals and there was no way to save the kid.

We are all doing our parts. Don't feel guilty. You are the people we want to protect.

1. Withdrawal of the Extradition Bill
2. Independent investigation commission on police brutality
3. Immediate release and amnesty for all protesters
4. Retract the classification of our protest as 'riot'
5. Universal suffrage for the Chief Executive and Legislative Council (the current system is designed to favor pro-government political parties)