Face of Nation : Pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong have been reminded that their cause is significant to people far and wide, with hundreds of Australians showing their solidarity at rallies across the nation. The latest Australian demonstrations came after violence flared in the Chinese-ruled city over the weekend, as police and protesters clashed.
Rallies were also held Brisbane, Perth and Canberra, with many activists holding signs calling for democracy and wearing face masks to disguise themselves as they chanted “Free Hong Kong”.
More than a thousand people gathered in the Sydney CBD on Sunday, while at least two hundred met in the heart of Melbourne and about 100 showed up in Adelaide. In Sydney, the message was clear: the protesters and their supporters won’t give up.
“To the Chinese government and the Hong Kong government, I will use a quote from Winston Churchill from World War II: we shall never surrender,” one protester told the crowd. The Hong Kong protests kicked off in June over a now-withdrawn bill that would have allowed extraditions to mainland China.
Protesters have five demands, one of which was the bill’s withdrawal, with others including an independent investigation into alleged police brutality and the release of arrested demonstrators.
At the Melbourne rally on Sunday, one protester stressed the international implications of what is unfolding in Hong Kong. “China by its nature is an empire, and it’s a threat to all the free people in the world,” he told the crowd. There was also some comic relief at the Melbourne rally, with a Kim Jong-un impersonator making an appearance.
“F*** the communist party,” he told the protesters, sparking a round of applause. The impersonator was taking selfies with punters, making a thumbs down gesture with a photo of Chinese President Xi Jinping. Three pro-Beijing protesters showed up at the Melbourne event and yelled out, before police told them to move on.
Uyghurs are the largest Muslim ethnic group in East Turkestan and have been subjected to harsh religious oppression, leaving them to struggle for cultural survival.
