Through Occupy, Hong Kong youth claim their citizen's rights

On the night before the clearance of the historic Occupy Central movement, I visited the main campsite in Admiralty. What I saw were many young people, banded together in makeshift communities, brimming with hope, frustration and unity. For me, their strong sense of solidarity, purpose and togetherness sparked questions. Hong Kong's youth are on a mission - but what do they want? And what do they seek to achieve?

This movement embodies the pursuit of citizenship rights as young people stake their claim to the city. Much has been said about their frustration over the lack of upward social mobility and employment opportunities. Many youngsters face such anxieties during their transition to being a full member of society. It is a natural part of growing up. However, too much uncertainty, economic precariousness and a lack of socio-economic security pave the way to civil unrest.

Citizens who feel excluded from their rights do not remain silent for long. Rather, excluded groups seek to challenge inequalities by widening the distribution of resources and citizenship. In doing this, Hong Kong youth are channelling their frustrations and creating new "space" where ideal forms of citizenry manifest themselves in the open.

As James Holston, an anthropology professor from the University of California, Berkeley, noted, a new form of radical, "insurgent" citizenship often arises out of an old, unequal regime. He uses the example of Brazil in the 1960s, where the working class overlooked the illegality of their actions as they built houses on unoccupied, untenured land. In this way, the poor effectively established themselves by asserting their citizen rights on housing, daily life and urban space, while transforming marginalised areas into socially organised spaces. Citizens claimed their identity and status through radical, transformative means.

Similarly, at the heart of Occupy, there is an insurgent movement led by young people wanting to change from passive citizens to active participants in society. By breaking the law with the act of civil disobedience, young citizens were "claiming" their right to expression, to be heard by the world. Gathering in Admiralty and Causeway Bay, for example, is important symbolically. Physically occupying Hong Kong's privileged, important areas is about retaking space from the corporate world and the state.

Second, the protests provided youngsters who usually communicate via social media with a physical meeting place for face-to-face communication. Against the isolation and divisions of daily life, Occupy offered participation and interaction. It invited passive young citizens to experience a sense of what an inclusive and egalitarian society might look like.