Pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong have been ongoing this entire summer, and cities around the globe have joined in solidarity, including Vancouver.
Protests spilled into and took over Hong Kong’s international airport in the last few weeks, with numerous flights being cancelled.
Furthermore, tensions peaked after a female protester was shot in the eye by a police projectile.
The protests were sparked by a Hong Kong government proposal that would allow residents to be extradited to Mainland China, which has control over the courts and an authoritarian government.
That legislation has since been suspended, but protesters want to see it completely removed. The protesters have also demanded an investigation into police brutality throughout these protests, as well as fully-democratic elections.
Hong Kong’s leadership is determined in large part by Mainland China. The Special Administrative Region was handed back from British rule to China in 1997, with an agreement to maintain its democracy-leaning status quo for 50 years, but citizens believe that Mainland China is already breaking that agreement.
Hong Kong Protests In Vancouver
Protests in Vancouver this weekend split into two sides: Pro-Hong Kong and Pro-China.
#hongkongprotest rally in Vancouver. Mainland China nationalists showed up. Hong Kong solidarity group chanting #freehongkong and #twosystems while China nationalists chanting #onechina and “take off your masks” and singing the Chinese national anthem #cansavehk pic.twitter.com/s9Fa3CwmSg
— Kevin Huang|黃儀軒 😷 (@yskevinhuang) August 17, 2019
🚨🇨🇦 YESTERDAY: #Vancouver rally was met with counter-protest by Chinese nationalists who sang the Chinese anthem to drown out the voices of #HKers.#StandWithHongKong #HongKong #HongKongProtests #yvr #CanSaveHK #Vancity #Canada #BritishColumbia pic.twitter.com/DSL8IIO71Q
— Global Solidarity with Hong Kong (@GlobalSolidHK) August 18, 2019
Sign held by person at today's pro-China gathering:
"Hong Kong is part of China. Support H.K. police.
Support Chinese Government."I've never seen so many Chinese flags & sportcars as what were hovering around the Broadway Skytrain station today.#Vancouver #HongKongProtests pic.twitter.com/y1m3PC0H62
— Christina Z (@zippycello) August 18, 2019
Pro-Beijing crowds surrounded a Vancouver prayer meeting for Hong Kong… The is literally annoying and violating our freedom and rights. Can they just stop those bullies and harrassments?
Thanks Vancouver Police Department for keeping the participants safe. #FreeHongKong pic.twitter.com/u146Ierq8b
— ToNYSoN (@tonyson327) August 19, 2019
Protest happening in #Vancouver #HongKong #cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/cEmeOAMSNo
— Calvin Tong, M.D. (@CalvinTongMD) August 18, 2019
🇨🇳🇭🇰Today, Chinese people tell you One China 🇨🇳. Hong Kong is part of China.🇭🇰@Vancouver #HongkongChina pic.twitter.com/CgRTpt6yVn
— Rachel Guo (@rachelguo81) August 18, 2019
https://twitter.com/polyprovenance/status/1163379805129023489?s=20
The Backstory: Vancouver Joins 29 Other Cities Around The Globe In Support of Hong Kong
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