My Take | Peaceful protests are part of city life and must return
- With the right to demonstrate under threat and leading members of the pro-democracy movement heading to jail, we are in danger of losing a powerful safety valve that has contributed to stability and better governance
Hong Kong became known as a “city of protest” long before the months of civil unrest in 2019.
The right to protest peacefully, protected by the Basic Law, has proved powerful and valuable over the years, allowing people from across the political spectrum to make their voices heard.
Demonstrations, sometimes by hundreds of thousands from all walks of life, have provided a safety valve when tensions arise. They have helped inform, shape or even reverse government policies. In this way peaceful protests have contributed to stability and better governance.
But the right to demonstrate is now under threat. Hong Kong is no longer a city of protest.
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Peaceful protests are part of Hong Kong city life and must return
Months of often violent anti-government protests in 2019, sparked by moves to pass a deeply unpopular extradition law, plunged the city into crisis. Beijing responded by passing a national security law last year. That has been followed by a crackdown on opposition figures.