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Hong Kong's Evolving Protests: Voices From the Front Lines

Associated Press

   HONG KONG - On a recent sweltering Saturday, a day now reserved for
   protest in Hong Kong, a demonstrator named Wayne stepped past a row of
   plastic barricades, lifted a pair of binoculars and squinted.

   Four hundred meters away, a line of riot police stood with full-length
   shields, batons and tear gas launchers.

   It was a familiar sight for Wayne after more than two months on the
   front lines of Hong Kong's turbulent pro-democracy demonstrations.
   Along with hard hats and homemade shields, face-offs with police have
   become part of the 33-year-old philosophy professor's new normal.

   The stories of Wayne and three other self-described "front line"
   protesters interviewed by The Associated Press provide insights into
   how what started as a largely peaceful movement against proposed
   changes to the city's extradition law has morphed into a summer of tear
   gas and rubber bullets. They spoke on condition they be identified only
   by partial names because they feared arrest.

   The movement has reached a moment of reckoning after protesters
   occupying Hong Kong's airport last week held two mainland Chinese men
   captive, beating them because they believed the men were infiltrating
   their movement.

   In the aftermath, pro-democracy lawmakers and fellow demonstrators --
   who have stood by the hard-liners even as they took more extreme steps
   -- questioned whether the operation had gone too far.

   It was the first crack in what has been astonishing unity across a wide
   range of protesters that has kept the movement going. It gave pause to
   the front-liners, who eased off the violence this past weekend, though
   they still believe their more disruptive tactics are necessary to get
   the government to answer the broader movement's demands.

   The demands grew from opposing legislation that would have allowed Hong
   Kong residents to be extradited for trials in mainland China's murky
   judicial system to pressing for democratic elections, Hong Kong leader
   Carrie Lam's resignation and an investigation into allegations of
   police brutality at the demonstrations.

   The protesters on the front lines are the ones who throw bricks at
   police and put traffic cones over active tear gas canisters to contain
   the fumes. They have broken into and trashed the legislature's
   chambers, blocked a major tunnel under Hong Kong's harbor, besieged and
   pelted police headquarters with eggs and halted rush-hour subways by
   blocking the train doors from closing.

   To Lam, these are "violent rioters" bent on destroying the city's
   economy. To China's ruling Communist Party, their actions are "the
   first signs of terrorism."

   To these most die-hard protesters, there's no turning back.

   "The situation has evolved into a war in Hong Kong society," said Tin,
   a 23-year-old front-line demonstrator. "It's the protesters versus the
   police."
   

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