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The inside story of how Hong Kong activists stormed parliament
Photo: SCMP/Winson Wong
by Sum Lok-kei andSu Xinqi
For the past three weeks, multiple protests against a now-suspended extradition bill have roiled Hong Kong.
Inkstone has previously reported on how the mostly young demonstrators rest, eat and pee.
And how the leaderless movement organized themselves.
On the evening of July 1, the 22nd anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to Chinese rule, a much smaller group of more radical activists shocked the world by charging into and ransacking the city’s legislature to express their grievances toward the authorities.
But how was this unprecedented protest organized?
Here’s an inside account of what happened that day, pieced together according to interviews and on-the-ground observations by reporters from the South China Morning Post.
11.30am – a show of hands
There was no leader, no grand scheme and no prior calls for action online. It was an almost spontaneous action that snowballed into shocking scenes of mayhem and violence.
Protesters and police face off on Harcourt Road in the morning of July 1, before activists tried to take over the legislature. Photo: SCMP/K.Y. Cheng
Earlier in the morning, young protesters had clashed with police outside of the Wanchai Convention and Exhibition Center, the turtle-shaped building where Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam was attending an annual flag-raising ceremony.
Some of the activists eventually moved to Harcourt Road, next to the city’s government headquarters and the Legislative Council, where lawmakers meet.
Around 11.30am, a young man in a green mask was seen trying to gather other protesters to vote on the trajectory of further actions.
“Now, show your hands if you agree to escalate and go radical,” he asked about 30 other protesters. Most raised their hands. When asked if they wished to remain peaceful, no hands went up.
The decision was then conveyed to a larger group of about 200 protesters at the Legislative Council’s protest zone at noon.
Members of the group then offered ideas on what they could do.
Five proposals – replacing the Chinese national flag at the symbolic Golden Bauhinia Square with a black flag, besieging a venue where Lam was set to be in the evening, storming the legislature, government headquarters or government house – were then discussed and put to a vote.
A 26-year-old protester, who declined to be named, said 80% in the group supported storming the legislature.
He said some proposed delaying the action until more people joined from the more peaceful march in the afternoon, but the suggestion was rejected.
“They said those who want to be peaceful would only try to stop you,” he said.
Others also feared any further delay would allow the police to prepare themselves.
Others also feared any further delay would allow the police to prepare themselves.
Protesters use a fully loaded cart as a battering ram to smash into the glass wall of the building.Photo: SCMP/Sam Tsang
Nick Yeung, a 22-year-old college student, said protesters wanted to send a stronger message with more aggressive actions and the proximity of the legislature building made it a natural target.
Yeung said several participants raised the issue of legal risks and broached the idea of taking more peaceful actions “but such ideas were binned immediately.”
“We didn’t discuss what would happen if we got arrested,” he said. Yeung did not join the storming, but left for the peaceful march instead.
1.30pm – smashing glass walls
Protesters then began throwing poles and scrap metal, which they had been collecting throughout the morning, onto a metal cart, turning the fully loaded vehicle into a battering ram to smash into the glass wall of the building.
At 1.30pm, a handful of protesters was seen charging into glass panels with the cart. On the other side of the glass, about 40 police officers guarded the building with riot shields, gas masks and rifles.
At 4pm, half of one glass panel that bore the brunt of the battering was gone, but protesters hung back and did not move into the legislature.
About one hour later, the protesters – now a larger group – then went to another entrance closer to legislature’s protest zone. They broke glass panels and then proceeded to remove metal bars on a gate.
Several protesters said they did not have any concrete plan on what to do next.
“This is an outpouring, after peaceful processions have proven useless,” one said.
The takeover of Hong Kong's legislature recreates a scene reminiscent of the Sunflower movement in Taiwan in 2014. Photo: SCMP/Antony Dickson
9pm – legislature ransacked
Moments before protesters finally breached the main entrance at 9pm, some tried to stop others from entering.
“Come back!” they shouted. “There are police inside and it’s all locked down, there’s no point in storming! It will just send you to jail!”
But others followed the sound of an air horn and moved inside. Some were then seen damaging legislature property, spraying graffiti and defacing Hong Kong’s official emblem as well as portraits of pro-Beijing lawmakers.
“You taught me that peaceful protests are useless,” was one slogan spray-painted on a pillar.
Protesters found their way into the legislature’s main chamber, recreating a scene reminiscent of the Sunflower movement in Taiwan in 2014, when Taiwanese students occupied the island’s legislature for more than 20 days.
But many appeared confused about what to do.
A protester rifles through lockers in the ladies changing room after protesters stormed into the Legislative Council. Photo: SCMP/Antony Dickson
A colonial flag was draped across the podium in the chamber but was later removed.
In the end, protesters eventually left four black and white posters showing mug shots of pro-Beijing officials, and a banner that read: “There are no mobs, only tyrannical rule.”
Protesters also became divided over whether they should stay or not. Some were seen calling on others to leave, fearing that police would move in to disperse them.
After rounds of deliberation, four protesters insisted on staying no matter the consequences.
Activists who wanted to stay in the Legislative Council are carried out by other protesters after midnight. Photo: SCMP/Roy Issa
A masked protester read out a manifesto inside the chamber.
“So far three young people have died for the anti-extradition movement. Our hearts are with our home, and we sacrifice our bodies to protect it,” he said, referring to three people who had taken their lives after leaving messages protesting against the extradition bill.
“We don’t want any more lives lost for Hong Kong’s democracy and freedom,” the masked protester said.
The small group was eventually carried out by other protesters after midnight, as police arrived to clear the area with tear gas.
When the police moved into the building around 1am, all protesters had left.
Photo: SCMP/Winson Wong
by Sum Lok-kei andSu Xinqi
For the past three weeks, multiple protests against a now-suspended extradition bill have roiled Hong Kong.
Inkstone has previously reported on how the mostly young demonstrators rest, eat and pee.
And how the leaderless movement organized themselves.
On the evening of July 1, the 22nd anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to Chinese rule, a much smaller group of more radical activists shocked the world by charging into and ransacking the city’s legislature to express their grievances toward the authorities.
But how was this unprecedented protest organized?
Here’s an inside account of what happened that day, pieced together according to interviews and on-the-ground observations by reporters from the South China Morning Post.
11.30am – a show of hands
There was no leader, no grand scheme and no prior calls for action online. It was an almost spontaneous action that snowballed into shocking scenes of mayhem and violence.
Protesters and police face off on Harcourt Road in the morning of July 1, before activists tried to take over the legislature. Photo: SCMP/K.Y. Cheng
Earlier in the morning, young protesters had clashed with police outside of the Wanchai Convention and Exhibition Center, the turtle-shaped building where Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam was attending an annual flag-raising ceremony.
Some of the activists eventually moved to Harcourt Road, next to the city’s government headquarters and the Legislative Council, where lawmakers meet.
Around 11.30am, a young man in a green mask was seen trying to gather other protesters to vote on the trajectory of further actions.
“Now, show your hands if you agree to escalate and go radical,” he asked about 30 other protesters. Most raised their hands. When asked if they wished to remain peaceful, no hands went up.
The decision was then conveyed to a larger group of about 200 protesters at the Legislative Council’s protest zone at noon.
Members of the group then offered ideas on what they could do.
Five proposals – replacing the Chinese national flag at the symbolic Golden Bauhinia Square with a black flag, besieging a venue where Lam was set to be in the evening, storming the legislature, government headquarters or government house – were then discussed and put to a vote.
A 26-year-old protester, who declined to be named, said 80% in the group supported storming the legislature.
He said some proposed delaying the action until more people joined from the more peaceful march in the afternoon, but the suggestion was rejected.
“They said those who want to be peaceful would only try to stop you,” he said.
Others also feared any further delay would allow the police to prepare themselves.
Others also feared any further delay would allow the police to prepare themselves.
Protesters use a fully loaded cart as a battering ram to smash into the glass wall of the building.Photo: SCMP/Sam Tsang
Nick Yeung, a 22-year-old college student, said protesters wanted to send a stronger message with more aggressive actions and the proximity of the legislature building made it a natural target.
Yeung said several participants raised the issue of legal risks and broached the idea of taking more peaceful actions “but such ideas were binned immediately.”
“We didn’t discuss what would happen if we got arrested,” he said. Yeung did not join the storming, but left for the peaceful march instead.
1.30pm – smashing glass walls
Protesters then began throwing poles and scrap metal, which they had been collecting throughout the morning, onto a metal cart, turning the fully loaded vehicle into a battering ram to smash into the glass wall of the building.
At 1.30pm, a handful of protesters was seen charging into glass panels with the cart. On the other side of the glass, about 40 police officers guarded the building with riot shields, gas masks and rifles.
At 4pm, half of one glass panel that bore the brunt of the battering was gone, but protesters hung back and did not move into the legislature.
About one hour later, the protesters – now a larger group – then went to another entrance closer to legislature’s protest zone. They broke glass panels and then proceeded to remove metal bars on a gate.
Several protesters said they did not have any concrete plan on what to do next.
“This is an outpouring, after peaceful processions have proven useless,” one said.
The takeover of Hong Kong's legislature recreates a scene reminiscent of the Sunflower movement in Taiwan in 2014. Photo: SCMP/Antony Dickson
9pm – legislature ransacked
Moments before protesters finally breached the main entrance at 9pm, some tried to stop others from entering.
“Come back!” they shouted. “There are police inside and it’s all locked down, there’s no point in storming! It will just send you to jail!”
But others followed the sound of an air horn and moved inside. Some were then seen damaging legislature property, spraying graffiti and defacing Hong Kong’s official emblem as well as portraits of pro-Beijing lawmakers.
“You taught me that peaceful protests are useless,” was one slogan spray-painted on a pillar.
Protesters found their way into the legislature’s main chamber, recreating a scene reminiscent of the Sunflower movement in Taiwan in 2014, when Taiwanese students occupied the island’s legislature for more than 20 days.
But many appeared confused about what to do.
A protester rifles through lockers in the ladies changing room after protesters stormed into the Legislative Council. Photo: SCMP/Antony Dickson
A colonial flag was draped across the podium in the chamber but was later removed.
In the end, protesters eventually left four black and white posters showing mug shots of pro-Beijing officials, and a banner that read: “There are no mobs, only tyrannical rule.”
Protesters also became divided over whether they should stay or not. Some were seen calling on others to leave, fearing that police would move in to disperse them.
After rounds of deliberation, four protesters insisted on staying no matter the consequences.
Activists who wanted to stay in the Legislative Council are carried out by other protesters after midnight. Photo: SCMP/Roy Issa
A masked protester read out a manifesto inside the chamber.
“So far three young people have died for the anti-extradition movement. Our hearts are with our home, and we sacrifice our bodies to protect it,” he said, referring to three people who had taken their lives after leaving messages protesting against the extradition bill.
“We don’t want any more lives lost for Hong Kong’s democracy and freedom,” the masked protester said.
The small group was eventually carried out by other protesters after midnight, as police arrived to clear the area with tear gas.
When the police moved into the building around 1am, all protesters had left.
