Some Protest Advice from a Hong Kong Protester.

Seattle had been my home for 8 years during my teens and early 20's and I've been following very closely to the protest happening there. As many of you know, Hong Kong has been through a series of mass protests in the last 10 years. Most significant were the Umbrella Revolution in 2014 when we occupied major roads in the city for 2.5 months straight, and the extradition law protest started from June 2019 until present.

I had been active through both of the protests and I am sharing some of my experiences in hopes that it can help prepare the braves Americans for problems that might potentially come up if the level of force against the protesters do escalate. I hope it will not come to that.

edit: Don’t forget to mask up! We are still fighting the coronavirus!

1. This is the MOST IMPORTANT! Always leave your house in preparation of the potential of arrest. You might be peaceful, but if this continues for weeks, at some point you will find yourself caught up near a hot spot. You absolutely need to have the phone number of someone you trust to handle legal matters memorized in your head. If you are an organizer, try to form a coalition that can offer legal assistance for anyone that is arrested. Over here, we have groups that go around stamping phone numbers onto people's arms during every protest to make sure that they can easily get access to legal assistance if arrested.
2. Be prepared for teargas. Carry a bottle of saline solution with you. They are to wash your eyes if you are exposed to tear gas. Wear goggles if you have.
3. ALWAYS HAVE AN EXIT ROUTE. During earlier times of the protest, I was once part of a large group that got flanked by a group of cops on each end of the block and were held there for hours. It was a peaceful protest that night but the cops will start to pull shit like this to deter people from coming out. When congregating, try to always position yourself in intersections so you will have multiple ways to leave. When the crowd gets big and tear gas hits and everyone is escaping, if you are aware of exit routes, it will be very valuable for not only you but those around you as well.
4. STAY UNITED. This point is extremely important to keep the protest going strong and you must always keep this in your mind. Our 2014 protest that lasted 2.5 months ultimately fizzled out because there was too much infighting. Protest movements are always extremely nuanced, and you will witness a wide range of actions and ideologies within the movement that you might not agree with. That is fine, just accept that there will be people that share the same cause but approach it differently. Don't call them out, don't tell them to go home, don't blast them on social media. Just keep doing you. Momentum is key and you must make sure to never do anything to slow other people's momentum, or have others slow your momentum. Don't let those in authority divide and conquer the movement.
5. It is not time and place to hang out with your friends. Always be vigilant and pay attention to your surrounding. A 10 second delay in noticing potential problems might mean getting hit by tear gas, rubber pellet, or worse, being arrested. If the crowd had dispersed and people are starting to go home, don't stick around and hang out. Things will always become more dangerous when there are less eyeballs around.
6. Help others. Bring an extra bottle of saline solution, an extra bottle of water, extra snacks, anything helpful, and give them to people who aren't as well prepared. Make an extra sign to give to those who came empty handed. The act of sharing goes a long way in building commarderie and the morale needed to keep the protest going. Always look out for anyone that might need help. If you see an older person, pay attention to them. If a tear gas hits or a group of cops start rushing, they might need your help to escape.

You will start to see alot of people and hear alot of voices that will make you question the movement. Don't let those things affect you, and don't be the one to make others question their action. Those who are in authority will take advantage of this human nature and utilize the media, social media, and send agents onto the protest sites that will make you believe the movement has gone in the wrong direction and you shouldn't participate in this anymore. The only way to combat this is to just keep doing what you do, and accept what those around you are doing. If everyone can hold onto this principle, everyone will continue to come out based on their own principle and the protest will continue strong.

Sorry this is so long. We had been fighting long and hard over here and the situation had deteriorated hard and rapidly. I salute those who are protesting in the U.S. and hope you guys can stay safe and continue to stand up for what you believe in. You guys are fortunate that your country has a system that despite being currently broken, still have process in place to make changes in line with the will of the people. So keep fighting the good fight!

Please stay safe and stay strong.