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Protesters occupying Nathan Road after a peaceful march on Sunday. Photo: Felix Wong

The difference between a Kowloon extradition bill protest and one on Hong Kong Island: it’s more than just fishballs

  • Internet users pore over why Sunday’s mass protest did not last late into the night, unlike on previous occasions on the other side of Victoria Harbour
  • While Tamar in Admiralty is the political heart, Kowloon embodies much of city’s character and history

“This is a time for Kowloon people to be proud!” Vivian Chiu Ma-yan, 34, a Facebook user in Hong Kong, said on her page last week. “Finally, this time we don’t need to hop across the harbour to join a protest!”

She was referring to last Sunday’s mass rally against the now-suspended extradition bill – the first one on the Kowloon side of Victoria Harbour.

Crowds march from Tsim Sha Tsui to the West Kowloon terminus. Photo: Felix Wong

While Hong Kong Island holds the administrative centre where government buildings and the chief executive’s official residence are located, Kowloon contains much of the character of Hong Kong, with its old shophouses, arts and entertainment zones, as well as flashing neon lights, a stark contrast to the cold, gleaming steel and glass across the water.

Mong Kok is one of Hong Kong’s most famous and oldest shopping hubs. Photo: David Wong

On Sunday, an estimated 230,000 marchers showed up against the hated extradition bill, while police said the rally peaked at 56,000. Whatever the figure, it was still many times over the initial 2,000 expected.

The march kicked off at the popular Tsim Sha Tsui commercial district and ended at the West Kowloon terminus of the high-speed rail link to Guangzhou. Along the way, thousands spilled into lanes branching from Nathan Road.

At the end of the event, many protesters stayed on, marching to Mong Kok, one of Hong Kong’s busiest and most densely populated areas, sparking stand-offs with police that were at times reminiscent of scenes from 2014’s Occupy movement.

Crowds swarm Nathan Road after the Kowloon protest march. Photo: Sam Tsang

Many have described the mass protest in Kowloon that day as a rare and refreshing sight as the city writhes in the extradition bill crisis. Critics want the bill completely withdrawn, among other demands.

Officers clash with protesters after a peaceful march as crowds converge in Mong Kok. Photo: Felix Wong

The controversial legislation would have allowed the transfer of criminal suspects to jurisdictions with which Hong Kong has no extradition deal, including mainland China.

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How is a Kowloon protest different?

Hong Kong as a special administrative region comprises three main parts: Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories. Traditionally, Hong Kong Island was developed earlier, and considered to be more prestigious than Kowloon.

It therefore became the city’s business, financial and political heart, especially after the Tamar complex was built in 2003 in Admiralty to house the legislature and government headquarters. To the east are cultural and convention facilities where major political events have been held.

Crowds gather outside the Legislative Council Complex in Tamar, Admiralty on June 12. Photo: May Tse

Because of this status, regular protests usually occur on Hong Kong Island, with the most preferred marching route being from Victoria Park in Tin Hau to Tamar Park in Admiralty.

This was also a reason observers had not pegged the extradition bill march on Sunday in Kowloon to draw the historic numbers seen in two previous marches in June, where millions, according to organisers, took to the streets.

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The lack of government buildings and political zones along Sunday’s route also led to some internet users pinning this on why demonstrations did not last deep into the night, as compared to when protesters stormed the Legislative Council on July 1, or when they gathered outside government buildings on previous occasions.

Protesters in Mong Kok gearing up to confront police after the Kowloon march. Photo: Dickson Lee

“Unlike protesting on Hong Kong Island, where we directed our effort towards Legco or the government headquarters, this one [in Kowloon] left us a bit at a loss,” says one user on the popular Linden forum. “Once protesters were scattered, they did not have a place to regroup again. It seems no different to target this street or another in Mong Kok.”

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Another user echoes the view, saying protesters had no intention to stay behind or occupy Mong Kok after Sunday’s rally anyway since crowds were not prepared and there was no target.

On a quote coined by martial arts screen legend Bruce Lee, they dissolved “like water”, quicker and earlier than expected that night.

Officers march through Mong Kok in a clearance operation. Photo: Felix Wong

Street food, a distraction?

Veteran protesters such as Chiu also note that the allure of street food in Kowloon could be a distraction for marchers. Instead of meandering through high rises on Hong Kong Island, rally-goers on Sunday had to navigate narrower streets and the aroma of cheap snacks such as those wafting from fishball stalls.

Riot police on Dundas Street standing by. Photo: Sam Tsang

“This is especially so when you reach the part near Mong Kok!” Chiu says.

Because of the higher-than-expected numbers on Sunday, the snaking procession ground to a halt at certain points, with marchers streaming into adjacent lanes where obstacles and distractions abound.

Mong Kok, for instance, is a mishmash of street markets, boutiques and small arcades.

Journalists standing on overhead street signs to snap shots of the march. Photo: Handout

Because of this difference in land use from protest routes on Hong Kong Island, journalists had to cover the Kowloon march from different angles. On the island side, photographers had plenty of vantage points, from high-rises to bridges peppering Causeway Bay, Wan Chai and Admiralty.

In Kowloon however, some were seen climbing up massive overhead road signs for wider shots of the crowds.

Protesters march through high-rises on Hong Kong Island on July 1. Photo: Martin Chan
Then why protest in Kowloon?

The lack of proximity to the city centre and political landmarks means protesters have a different agenda – targeting mainland shoppers.

On Sunday, many demonstrators wielded placards in simplified Chinese, a script used on the mainland, while giving speeches through loudspeakers in Mandarin instead of Cantonese.

The aim was to get their message across to those beyond the border, who face tight media censorship by the Chinese government.

Protesters in Mong Kok during during 2014’s Occupy movement. Photo: Felix Wong

As a famed shopping hub, Mong Kok has seen its fair share of mass protests. The area was one of the focus points of the 79-day Occupy movement for greater democracy in 2014, as protesters brought traffic to a standstill on Nathan Road, with the thoroughfare becoming a stretch of tents and rally zones for protesters.

Violence breaks out in Mong Kok in 2016 over events now dubbed the ‘Fishball Revolution’. Photo: Edward Wong

As recently as 2016, violence erupted in Mong Kok after authorities cracked down on unlicensed street vendors on the eve of Lunar New Year. The clashes escalated into a riot, spurred by radicals who found an opportunity to vent their frustrations, resulting in 44 police injuries and 24 arrests.

On social media, the bloody confrontation, which lasted more than 10 hours, was dubbed the “Fishball Revolution”.

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