Children of the Revolution

Oct 6 2019

Watching HKPF arresting young children has been upsetting; kids are common sight in rallies, but seeing them in the fray still hits a painful spot. How’d we get here? What cld possibly compel the young to rise up?

Kids hv always been part of the HK protest scene - parents take them to rallies, to human chains, to singalongs… instilling in the young a strong sense of civic duty. In our protest art depicting cross-section of HKers, u’re bound to find parents w/ children of all ages.

What strikes one going thru protest art is more often than not, HK children are shown as confronting power w/ the defiance worthy of songs. They’re saying,

‘We may be young, but we can still make a stand. We will be seen.’

HK kids hv to make their stand, bcos the world has forced them to. Students hv gotten attacked near schools for supporting the mvmt. Young ppl hv been attacked by pro-CCP thugs while building Lennon Walls. And of course, the police hv taken to shooting teenagers now.

So HK kids moved frontline of resistance to their schools. They form human chains, they boycott classes, they drown out the Chinese national anthem w/ their renditions of HKers’ songs. They’re saying,

‘We may be young, but we still have a voice. We will be heard.’

HK kids like being kids, which is also why they fight, so the next generation gets to enjoy their childhoods in peace. Our art shows frontliners telling the young, ‘We do this in the hope you won’t need to when you grow up. We do this so you can have a future that’s free.’

So HK kids moved to frontline of resistance. He dons a hardhat to brave bullets. She slips on a gas mask to put out tg. And quite a few of them carry wills, just in case. They’re saying,

‘We may be young, but we’ve a stake in HK’s future. And we’re willing to die for it.’

This isn’t right. No child shld feel they hv to bear burden of chging the world alone, esp. when it’d bn the political apathy of prior generations that got us to where we’re now. We cld’ve found a political solution, but instead chose to sleepwalk thru the last 2 decades.

But the older generations are awake now. HKers have stepped in to shield the young - Grandpa Wong & Chan’s ‘Protect the Children’ squad is often seen around town & the art in their high-vis vests. And so many others have pleaded w/ the HKPF for our children, for our future.

It’s not been enough. HKPF has started arresting children in earnest, often separating them from parents. In our art our kids’s defiance cracks - they’re tired, they’re scared. They’re saying,

‘We may be young, but that can’t possibly be a crime. When will we be free?’

There’s no silver lining. HK now has a gen. of kids for whom police brutality is part of daily life. But we’ve seen HK youth display unmatched courage & spirit of resistance under the most trying circumstances. That gives me hope for our future. The young people will win.

Update, May 10, 2020

Adding the art of the 13 yr-old student reporter here…

Art has appeared of the 13-yr old student reporter, portraying Luk for the child that he is.

And for those who argue he shouldn’t have put himself in danger… malls are not warzones, at least they shouldn’t be! Blame the HKPF who endanger everyone, not the child.

“Who’s afraid of whom?” Great question, it’s a sign of guilt that the HKPF can feel threatened by a 13 yr-old student reporter with a phone.

More art of Luk who displayed bravery no child shld ever have to display.

The image of fully geared-up police threatening a child in a high-vis vest captures sth of the spirit of the mvmt. The power imbalance, the lack of proportionality… 😩

Update, Jun 7, 2020

UPDATE: HK students are back in school, but it seems not much has changed.

L: “Sorry, but you don’t have the right to speak.” R: “My ‘crime’ is seeking justice.”

No child should have to face these terrors, and yet a whole generation of HK kids are now activists. 😩