‘What do I tell them?’ When children ask about Hong Kong protests
- Violent street clashes and youngsters on the front lines – these are the memories of 2019 for many of the city’s children
- Psychologists worry about the toll on mental health, not just for the young but also the adults they look up to
Seven-year-old Hysan is heading home, holding hands with his mother, when he sees more than a dozen riot police guarding Tin Hau MTR station on Hong Kong Island. Crowds are gathering in Victoria Park, just a few metres away, while warnings that some stations will be closing soon are blaring from speakers throughout the station.
He is afraid. Sometimes he cries and has a hard time falling asleep
Now, months later, Hysan feels nervous every time he sees a group of police officers, says his mother Wong.
“He is afraid. Sometimes he cries and has a hard time falling asleep,” says Wong, who describes herself as “neutral” towards the demonstrations, which on many weekends have escalated into pitched battles between protesters and police on the streets, and more recently on university campuses.
The past week brought a rare pause in the clashes, in the lead-up to and after the November 24 district council elections that saw pro-democracy candidates secure a landslide victory.
Wong says she has avoided watching the news with her son, choosing to tune in to cartoons instead. “I try to explain what is happening – but sometimes, I have to say, it is very hard.”