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Smoke, Screens and Visions

ong Kong has been plagued Once again, the city has spiralled take a look at how protesters protect
by ongoing “leaderless and into widespread protests, albeit in their identities, the root of their dis-
Hbe water” protests as protest- a different form. In this issue, Var- trust, and the extent of data protec-
ers plan every rally with a fluid and sity looks into the impact of informa- tion from privacy laws.
decentralized organisational struc- tion dissemination and privacy data Varsity’s reporters and editors
ture through the help of modern awareness in the anti-ELAB Move- worked hard with devotion on this
communication technologies. ment. issue. While the government an-
The latest wave of protests Local protesters utilise communi- nounced on September 4 it would for-
stemmed from as far as February cation and forum applications, such mally withdraw the extradition bill,
when the government proposed an as LIHKG and Telegram, to organise the fight continues all around us. We
amendment to the Fugitive Offenders protests and communicate with each may often find ourselves met with
Ordinance, regarding special arrange- other. We speak with organisers, pro- suppression, hopelessness, confusion
ments for the transfer of fugitives. testers, and experts about how protest and division. However, even with the
Human rights groups and other or- coordination is developing in this un- conflicts this division brings, we see
ganizations voiced concerns that fugi- certain political landscape. that each individual cares for this city
tives extradited to China would suffer Simultaneous to the fast organi- greatly, in their own way.
from arbitrary detention and unfair sation on various online platforms, We hope this issue may reflect
trial under China’s judicial system. information is spread to the inter- on how our lives have changed, shed
The extradition bill set off a chain national community through news light on the developments the pro-
of anti-government protests, also reports and social media activism. tests have gone through, and bring
known as the anti-Extradition Law Activists are also using creative ways about healthy discussion regarding
Amendment Bill (anti-ELAB) Move- to illustrate the situation in Hong our city’s future.
ment with over one million people Kong. We talk to international activ-
took to the street peacefully on June ists about discussion abroad and the
9. But the protests took a grim turn in conflicts that accompany them.
mid-June, when police began to use Awareness and concerns with pri-
rubber bullets and tear gas on protest- vacy increased following the rapid
ers. Suppressed tensions and distrust dissemination of information. Many
enshrouded after the 2014 Umbrella protesters use extra SIM cards and are Johanna Chan
Movement resurfaced in the form of often seen in black attire and sanitary Editor-in-chief
flash-mob style protests. masks, even at peaceful protests. We

Varsity Magazine, Issue 153, November 2019
Editorial Office School of Journalism and Communication, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Sha Tin, N. T., Hong Kong.
Contacts Telephone: 3943 7680 Fax: 2603 5007 Email: varsity@cuhk.edu.hk
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