Seeing Beyond the Tear Gas. 2019-20.
These defiant words of protest were not shouted by a young, black-clad protester wielding a Molotov cocktail, but by a middle-aged office worker, sporting a finely-tailored suit, wielding a bubble tea.
Since June 2019, life in Hong Kong has been marked by protests as residents fight for democracy, government accountability, and human rights. There have been 1000 demonstrations involving an estimated 14 million people. The police have arrested close to 8,000 people (from kids to adults to seniors), with only 29 convictions and 15 prison sentences to date.
This movement has received global attention, with local journalists joined by hundreds of foreign correspondents, many sporting gas masks to protect from the more than 16,000 rounds of tear gas fired throughout the city.
The predominant story told is one of violence, anger, civil disobedience, police brutality, and a government that has largely ignored the will of the people.
“Seeing Beyond the Tear Gas” aims to move beyond the headlines and the frontlines to share the story of the countless people supporting the movement: aunties dropping food coupons into donation boxes, office workers writing holiday cards to those in detention, and citizens offering first aid and moral support to one another during these difficult times.
There are stories of kindness, not anger. Humanity, not violence. Community, not conflict. There are stories of people who have finally found their identity and are fighting to preserve it.
The People.
An estimated two million people marched in solidarity for universal suffrage, human rights, and police accountability in Hong Kong on June 16, 2019.
You'll Never Walk Alone
An estimated two million people marched in solidarity for universal suffrage, human rights, and police accountability in Hong Kong on June 16, 2019.
Ga Yau!
A man stands in the window of his high-rise flat in the Kornhill neighbourhood of Hong Kong on August 17, 2019, offering a thumbs up and words of encouragement to pro-democracy advocates below. The sign reads "Ga Yau" which means "add oil", a commonly used Cantonese metaphor used to offer encouragement and support.
Workers Unite
Office workers in Taikoo Shing participate in a lunch-time pro-democracy rally on November 14, 2019.
Protest at Tiffany's
Staff inside the luxury brand Tiffany & Co. in Kowloon show their support for the five demands of pro-democracy and human rights protesters on October 20, 2019. Tens of thousands of Hong Kong residents took to the streets in the 20th week of city-wide protests, demanding government accountability, universal suffrage, and an independent investigation into police actions.
Cards for Humanity
On December 16, 2019, office workers and local residents in Taikoo Shing took time during their lunch break to write messages of love, hope, and seasons greetings to those that have been detained by police over the past six months of pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.
Food Coupons
A woman donates food coupons at a collection box during a pro-democracy rally in Hong Kong on August 18, 2019. Tens of millions of Hong Kong dollars and countless free meals have been donated to help support medical, legal, and living costs for those affected by the protests.
Mosque Cleanup
Concerned citizens help clean up the Kowloon Masjid and Islamic Centre after it was sprayed with noxious blue dye by the Hong Kong Police on October 20 , 2019.
Citizen Aid
A young man uses saline solution to relieve the discomfort of tear gas after riot police fired on a crowd of civilians in Taikoo Shing, Hong Kong. November 3, 2019.
The Ambulance
Thousands of pro-democracy protesters took to the streets on August 18, 2019 in Hong Kong. Despite the huge number of people, the crowd parted quickly to allow an ambulance to get through.
Partners in Protest
Parents, kids, aunties, uncles, and young lovers joined together to raise their fists in hope and defiance, their shouts of "Five demands! Not one less!" on December 8, 2019.