Story and photos by Paulo Loreto Lim

Over the past few weeks, the world has witnessed the ongoing chaos in Hong Kong. Known as a bastion of wealth and business, along with serving as home to countless overseas Filipino workers, the opulent port city has seen riots breakout, civilians attacked on the subway, law enforcement releasing tear gas, airport operations interrupted, along with damage and vandalism inflicted upon government property.
The situation today is a far cry from the “Umbrella Revolution,” a massive demonstration that took place in Hong Kong five years ago. During that time, I had the opportunity to visit and walk around the protest site. Looking at the situation now, based on what has been shown across all media, that is not something to be replicated. There was no violence in 2014, it was a pure call for “freedom.”
Today’s protests stemmed from the proposed extradition bill, which came about following a murder case wherein the suspect admitted to killing his girlfriend in Taiwan but could not be tried with no extradition treaty between Hong Kong and Taiwan. Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam proposed a bill that would allow extradition on a case-by-case basis, which was met by protests from Hongkongers who believed the law could be exploited to repatriate individuals who opposed the central Chinese government.
In 2014, the matter surrounded the role the Chinese Communist Party played in selecting candidates in Hong Kong’s election for chief executive, which many in the public saw as restrictive. Their demonstration was about fighting for the right of Hongkongers to make decisions for Hongkongers.
For anybody who has been to Hong Kong, one of the most striking experiences is the hustle and bustle of the city, especially during rush hour. However, during that period five years ago, the streets were hauntingly empty. Traffic was rerouted and the iconic ‘Ding-Ding’ tram was not in operation. From the hotel in the Wan Chai district, near the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, the walk to the Central district was a wide and empty street.
It was during that walk that I stumbled upon portions of the expansive protest site.
Various camps were set up along the street with posters offering encouraging words to the demonstrators, quotes and messages about freedom, and umbrellas everywhere. Walking into a protest area, there was no resistance or apprehension as the public was allowed to look at everything on display freely.
There was also a “Lennon Wall” set up where visitors could leave notes on post-its and, given the variety of neon colors the notes came in, the wall became this beautiful mosaic in the middle of the protest site.
Five years ago, Hong Kong stood up to Beijing calling for freedom in elections; today, despite the withdrawal of the controversial extradition bill, the public is still taking a stand—a position that has the Chinese government preparing military reinforcements just over the border in Shenzhen./WDJ