Why are Hong Kong protesters targeting lamp posts?

Protesters tore down a smart lamp post and posted online what they found inside

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Paranoia or privacy concerns? (Picture: Felix Wong)

Published: 9:33am, 30 Aug 2019Updated: 9:33am, 30 Aug 2019

On a late Saturday afternoon in Hong Kong, anti-government protesters surrounded a lamp post. While some started cutting away the base with a saw, others tied ropes to the post and began pulling it down. The lamp post toppled down with a crash to cheering and applause.

But taking it down wasn’t enough. As soon as the lamp post hit the ground, protesters began to gut it, searching for evidence of surveillance.

For the Hong Kong government, smart lamp posts are one of the most visible forays into its smart city project. Unlike regular, boring old lamp posts, these expensive devices are equipped with cameras, Bluetooth beacons and RFID technology. The US$34.75 million-worth of tech-heavy posts can collect traffic and weather data, monitor for illegal dumping of waste, and soon even improve Wi-Fi and 5G network coverage.

But some anti-government protesters see them as a sign of creeping digital surveillance from mainland China. And despite bewilderment from the government, these Hongkongers are declaring war on public cameras.

Anti-government protests have gone on for over 12 weeks now, and right from the start, protesters have been keen to protect their identities. Faces are hidden behind masks, surveillance cameras have been painted over, and some have even given up their smartphones and subway smart cards -- preferring single-use tickets for trains instead, hoping to avoid tracking.