On the streets of Hong Kong, the locals are restless. The 1997 handover has had a destabilising effect. The civil liberties enjoyed under the British are being eroded and the political and legal autonomy is going too.
At each step, the changes were met with peaceful protest. Until in 2019, they reached a tipping point and demonstrations escalated into vandalism and violence. This year, the overlords in Beijing asserted their authority, enforcing allegiance and obedience through a strict new security law.
Now, saying the wrong thing about Hong Kong can put you behind bars. Fear has the power to prevent these slogans from being rewritten, and self-censorship will prevent many from discussing the ideas behind them.
When words are banned photographs take on extra significance and make it more difficult for leaders to influence the collective memory. These images, taken in November 2019, capture the sentiment of many Hongkongers prior to the crackdown and help to narrate history and pass experience on to future generations.
Photos taken over 3 days in November 2019.
Ben Rook 