Action speaks louder than words.
There is a lot to be said for non-violent direct action. Though we are not brave enough to stand in front of tanks, we do have some other ideas. We want YOUR ideas too!
We believe in creative and inventive styles of protest to get society to think and encourage some debate.
We consider apathy and indifference as the greatest threat to our city. We see many injustices continuing in Hong Kong simply because too many people shrug their shoulders and say that is the way it's always been - we believe that way of thinking needs to be challenged.
We think people on the street are switching off because of seeing too many boring, conservative, grey-suited politicians in their 50s. We want to go to the streets to turn them back on. In short, we think politics in Hong Kong needs to be more sexy and colourful to capture the public's interest and generate more debate in society.
Though some of our protests might be a bit radical for some and a disruption to those wanting to cling to the status quo, we would like to stress that we are a non-violent group and do not support any kind of violence against the person. We believe in using humour rather than aggression and don't mind making fools of ourselves a little if it means more people will question what is going on in Honq Kong, China and the wider world.
We believe the democratic right to vote is a basic human right and that universal suffrage and full democracy should be introduced immediately. We believe the democratic movement in Hong Kong should not be afraid to adopt new strategies to fight for real democracy. The pro-democratic camp needs to find the most effective tactics that suit the political and cultural conditions of present day Hong Kong. Power can be taken, but not given - the process of the taking is empowerment in itself. More activists need to come forward who are prepared to take a real stand. Pro-democratic groups need to think carefully to take the right kind of peaceful action - at the right moment - and in the right location, in order to maximize it's impact. See our non-violent direct action page and photos page for more details.
There are many ways in which the different democratic political groups here could empower themselves and ignite more public support. The democracy movement should be taking more courageos steps to build up more power and to do so in a controlled way to make it clear the movement is completely peaceful. The movement should be learning as much as it can about the struggles for power undertaken by the Suffragettes, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, and Nelson Mandela - but finding unique strategies that are right for Hong Kong at this time and age. Other democratic groups here should not make the mistake of comparing Hong Kong and China to countries which are already democratic. Hong Kong is in great danger of ending up with a Singaporean-style of fake democracy. Once the Article 23 "anti-subversion" laws are passed it will be difficult to adopt the openly defiant, "lawful", demonstrations our group has been engaging in, which is why it is important not to allow the government to pass Article 23. Activists should be more effectively using the protection they have under the Basic Law and rule of law here, to more effectively put the government under greater pressure to listen to the people. Before taking any action it is important democratic groups find out as much about the law as possible and the consequences of their actions to be able to make calculated decisions. The democracy movement should be more effectively taking advantage of the fact that we have freedom of speech, a free media not directly controlled by the government, and the constitutional right to demonstrate.
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