Seventeen Weeks: Protests And Chaos in Hong Kong

WAMU 88.5

Published October 1, 2019 at 10:06 AM EDT

People form a human chain in the harbor area in Hong Kong. Millions have hit the streets during nearly four months of pro-democracy protests, and hardcore activists have repeatedly clashed with police.

It is the 17th week of anti-government protests in Hong Kong. It is also the 70th anniversary of the creation of the Republic of China.

Over the weekend, police and protesters clashed.

NPR was on the ground, speaking to those who were out on the street.

One 26-year-old protester, who identified himself as Kevin to protect his identity, was part of a group quickly changing out of their black T-shirts to avoid being flagged by police. He said he joined the protest because “Beijing is restricting democracy and won’t allow free elections.”

We bring you the latest on what we know regarding the demands of the protesters, why the demonstrations have endured and how the Chinese government might respond.

Produced by Stacia Brown.

GUESTS

Emily Feng, NPR Beijing correspondent; @EmilyZFeng

Jiayang Fan, Staff writer, New Yorker; @JiayangFan

For more, visit https://the1a.org.