An extradition is the removal of a convicted fugitive from a requested state to the state where they had committed the crime and where they will face trial. For example, if a man named Bob killed someone in California and is currently in Georgia, he must be extradited back to California where he will face trial.

Hong Kong is a special administrative region of the People’s Republic of China on the eastern Pearl River Delta of the South China Sea. It has a total population of 7.451 million as of 2018. It was once occupied by Great Britain during the 1860s for a century and a half. Britain made a deal with China that they’d return the territory back to China with the agreement that China would allow Hong Kong to be autonomous and China wouldn’t wouldn’t impose its government on Hong Kong for 50 years. This would be known as the “one country, two systems” policy.

When Britain ceded its control from Hong Kong, China agreed to govern Hong Kong under the principle of "one country, two systems", allowing Hong Kong to be autonomous, except in foreign and defence affairs for 50 years; therefore, Hong Kong has its own legal system, where their rights including freedom of assembly and free speech are protected. Currently, there’s been a lot of tension between the two regions and lot’s of internal conflicts, further escalated by China becoming more extreme on its authoritarian rule.

Carrie Lam is the 4th and current chief executive of Hong Kong. She sparked one of the biggest political crises in the territory in decades by pushing a bill that would allow extraditions to China. Currently, her approval ratings in Hong Kong are a measly 9.1%, mainly because of her handling of the Covid-19 outbreak and the Hong Kong protests. Trust in the government is non-existent with the rise of anti-government movements and protests in Hong Kong, and Carrie Lam is not making it any better.

It’s a form of public protest and free expression against the government.

It’s a revolution about being able to freely express your opinions. Hundreds of walls have been covered in sticky notes where people can engage with the notes by reading, creating messages, or converse with other people. Even with all the anti-government protests and movements, there are still many sticky notes opposing these movements, however, the citizens have agreed to not cover or take these down because the walls are an exercise of democracy and freedom of speech.

The protestors carry umbrellas for a multitude of reasons, however, the main reason is that it provides protection and can be used as a tool of self-defense, especially from the police. Besides self-defense and protection, the tool can also be used as a way to shield the protesters’ faces, providing privacy. Elsa Chan says it best, “It covers up our faces because there are many people taking photos of us and sending to the Communist Party, so this umbrella protects our privacy. There are cameras outside the police headquarters, so we want to shield our identity.” Furthermore, the umbrellas can be used as an expression of art and a symbol of resistance and a staple of the anti-government demonstrations.

To get an idea, watch these videos/gifs.

As of November 2019, only 2 people have died from the protest: 22-year-old Chow Tsz-Lok (November 8, 2019) and 70-year-old Luo Changqing (November 14, 2019). Furthermore, at least 2,600 people have been injured as of December 2019.

As of May 2020, at least 9000 people have been arrested with 1,749+ people charged as of June 2020.

They have 5 demands: The full withdrawal of the controversial extradition bill A commission of inquiry into alleged police brutality and police behavior To Retract the classification of protesters as “rioters” Amnesty for arrested protesters To implement Dual universal suffrage for both the Legislative Council and the Chief Executive

No, as stated before, these protests are more than an extradition bill, it’s about the future of Hong Kong, their democracy, universal suffrage, and Hong Kong’s political crises. Many protesters won’t stop protesting and fighting until their 5 demands are met and many haven’t been stopped by Covid-19.

No, both sides have stayed resilient, with many protesters shifting towards the online medium to protest amidst Covid-19 and the Beijing and Chinese governments imposing new national security in response to Hong Kong’s anti-government protests.

Even if it’s inevitable, the Hongkongers are determined to continue fighting, even if there’s a good chance that they’ll inevitably end up being part of China again. This is because they don’t want this to happen without them putting up a fight because at the end of the day, whether the protests were successful or not, they’ll be put down in history as a determined group of people who fought for their rights and their future. Furthermore, they’ve been a culturally segregated group of people for decades who were able to live under an autonomous government. There’s no telling how they as a group will be treated, especially in a country that’s extremely authoritarian. The people of Hong Kong aren’t happy about losing their freedoms, democracy, and justice, therefore, they want to at least put up a fight against the government, some even writing their own wills before going out to protest. Moreover, they have nearly 27 years before the “One Country, Two System” Policy ends, so there’s no telling what’ll happen in the future. If they have time, they’ll keep pushing, and even after the policy ends and they’re still denied their rights, they’ll still continue to fight.

The U.S. government’s response to the Hong Kong protests have been lackluster, with the U.S. not making a strong stance on the matter. President Trump has made vague statements about the Hong Kong protests, stating that if President Xi Jinping “sat down with the protesters, he’d work it out in 15 minutes.” Some sources say this might be because Trump promised Xi that the U.S. would remain silent during the protests. Trump has signed a bill that went into effect on November 27, 2019, known as the Human Rights and Democracy Act, which mandates an annual review to check if Hong Kong has enough autonomy to justify special status with the US. If China undermines the city's rights and freedoms, the US could revoke the special trading status it has granted the territory.

Many countries have stayed silent and neutral in response to the Hong Kong protests as China has a low tolerance level for disagreement and criticism. For example, the NBA discouraged players from commenting on Chinese Policy after China had blacklisted the Rockets and refused to broadcast 2 NBA games in China when Darly Morey, the general manager of the Houston Rockets, tweeted his support for Hong Kong. Furthermore, many countries, including the U.S., have avoided taking strong stances on the Hong Kong protests to ensure positive trade negotiations because China is a major trade partner for many countries.

Tactics used by the Hong Kong protestors, from using encrypted messaging apps to neutralizing the effects of tear gas particles using baking soda and water solution, have been adopted by protesters around the world, from America’s Black Lives Matter Movement to Indonesia’s Student Rallies. Furthermore, the Hong Kong protests have been inspiring movements around the world, such as Catalonia.

Sign Petitions Join a local online protest Donate to the cause Boycott pro-Chinese communist party (PRO-CCP), CCP controlled/owned companies and products that are made in China Write to/call the US Congress (Senators and Representatives) Join a local Hong Kong rally Don’t go to Hong Kong for vacation (you’re giving money to Carrie Lam’s government) until the demands of the protestors are met! Join online campaign protests Raise awareness about the Hong Kong protests Be informed and updated!! A lot of people around the world don’t know what’s going on in Hong Kong and what the Hong Kong protests are about. Voicing your opinions, raising awareness to the movement, and starting a discussion. You can also click on the “Take Action” button above to get more information about what to do!

No, the links will take you to social media accounts belonging to a group of people that update on Hong Kong’s protest very often.