Groups including Demosisto called on teens to wear the protester uniform during today's annual charity event
About 200 students, some dressed in black, gathered at the school playground, although their Dress Casual Day was postponed by the schoolThe Preparatory Platform of Class Boycotts in Secondary Schools, which is co-organised by student groups Demosisto, Demovanile and Anti-Foo, called on students to dress in all black on today's Dress Casual Day held by a local charity organisation, the Community Chest of Hong Kong.
The annual event allows students to wear their own clothes to school, rather than school uniform. “We decided to dress in black because we want to show we disapprove of the Hong Kong police as they abused their power to arrest people who dress in black,” said a 17-year-old student surnamed Wan from Methodist Church Hong Kong Wesley College.
This morning, around 40 students dressed in black gathered on the school playground for a silent sit-in. Since the beginning of the movement, protesters have been following a common dress code: an all-black outfit. So far, no student from Wan’s school has been arrested. When asked if he’s worried about being arrested, he said, “There’s no point in being scared, because the police are already arresting people indiscriminately.”
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Some schools, including La Salle College and St Paul’s College, postponed their Dress Casual Day. A student from St Paul’s College told Young Post that the school had announced the postponement through an e-notice, without proposing a new date for the activity, nor stating the reasons for the decision. Students had to wear their uniform to school today. Yet, Lau, a 17-year-old student, who is also a concern group member, said students were called on to wear a mask and put a black shirt on top of their uniform, and head to the school playground during recess.
About 200 students showed up to the activity. They also waved a black flag that read “Liberate Hong Kong, Revolution of our times”, and sang the movement’s anthem, Glory to Hong Kong.
The move was not supported by the school, which had previously urged students not to participate. But Lau said, “Students won’t back down and succumb to the white terror. With the recently enacted anti-mask law, there will only be more students who choose to come out [against injustice].”