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Emily Tsang

Rachel Yeo

“This is a time for Kowloon people to be proud!” Vivian Chiu Ma-yan, 34, a Facebook user in Hong Kong, said on her page last week. “Finally, this time we don’t need to hop across the harbour to join a protest!”
She was referring to last Sunday’s mass rally against the now-suspended extradition bill – the first one on the Kowloon side of Victoria Harbour.

While Hong Kong Island holds the administrative centre where government buildings and the chief executive’s official residence are located, Kowloon contains much of the character of Hong Kong, with its old shophouses, arts and entertainment zones, as well as flashing neon lights, a stark contrast to the cold, gleaming steel and glass across the water.

On Sunday, an estimated 230,000 marchers showed up against the hated extradition bill, while police said the rally peaked at 56,000. Whatever the figure, it was still many times over the initial 2,000 expected.
The march kicked off at the popular Tsim Sha Tsui commercial district and ended at the West Kowloon terminus of the high-speed rail link to Guangzhou. Along the way, thousands spilled into lanes branching from Nathan Road.




At the end of the event, many protesters stayed on, marching to Mong Kok, one of Hong Kong’s busiest and most densely populated areas, sparking stand-offs with police that were at times reminiscent of scenes from 2014’s Occupy movement.

Many have described the mass protest in Kowloon that day as a rare and refreshing sight as the city writhes in the extradition bill crisis. Critics want the bill completely withdrawn, among other demands.

The controversial legislation would have allowed the transfer of criminal suspects to jurisdictions with which Hong Kong has no extradition deal, including mainland China.
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How is a Kowloon protest different?
Hong Kong as a special administrative region comprises three main parts: Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories. Traditionally, Hong Kong Island was developed earlier, and considered to be more prestigious than Kowloon.
It therefore became the city’s business, financial and political heart, especially after the Tamar complex was built in 2003 in Admiralty to house the legislature and government headquarters. To the east are cultural and convention facilities where major political events have been held.

Because of this status, regular protests usually occur on Hong Kong Island, with the most preferred marching route being from Victoria Park in Tin Hau to Tamar Park in Admiralty.
This was also a reason observers had not pegged the extradition bill march on Sunday in Kowloon to draw the historic numbers seen in two previous marches in June, where millions, according to organisers, took to the streets.
Hong Kong extradition bill explained: how we got into this mess
The lack of government buildings and political zones along Sunday’s route also led to some internet users pinning this on why demonstrations did not last deep into the night, as compared to when protesters stormed the Legislative Council on July 1, or when they gathered outside government buildings on previous occasions.

“Unlike protesting on Hong Kong Island, where we directed our effort towards Legco or the government headquarters, this one [in Kowloon] left us a bit at a loss,” says one user on the popular Linden forum. “Once protesters were scattered, they did not have a place to regroup again. It seems no different to target this street or another in Mong Kok.”
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Another user echoes the view, saying protesters had no intention to stay behind or occupy Mong Kok after Sunday’s rally anyway since crowds were not prepared and there was no target.
On a quote coined by martial arts screen legend Bruce Lee, they dissolved “like water”, quicker and earlier than expected that night.

Street food, a distraction?
Veteran protesters such as Chiu also note that the allure of street food in Kowloon could be a distraction for marchers. Instead of meandering through high rises on Hong Kong Island, rally-goers on Sunday had to navigate narrower streets and the aroma of cheap snacks such as those wafting from fishball stalls.
 
“This is especially so when you reach the part near Mong Kok!” Chiu says.
Because of the higher-than-expected numbers on Sunday, the snaking procession ground to a halt at certain points, with marchers streaming into adjacent lanes where obstacles and distractions abound.
Mong Kok, for instance, is a mishmash of street markets, boutiques and small arcades.

Because of this difference in land use from protest routes on Hong Kong Island, journalists had to cover the Kowloon march from different angles. On the island side, photographers had plenty of vantage points, from high-rises to bridges peppering Causeway Bay, Wan Chai and Admiralty.
In Kowloon however, some were seen climbing up massive overhead road signs for wider shots of the crowds.
 Then why protest in Kowloon?
The lack of proximity to the city centre and political landmarks means protesters have a different agenda – targeting mainland shoppers.
On Sunday, many demonstrators wielded placards in simplified Chinese, a script used on the mainland, while giving speeches through loudspeakers in Mandarin instead of Cantonese.
The aim was to get their message across to those beyond the border, who face tight media censorship by the Chinese government.

As a famed shopping hub, Mong Kok has seen its fair share of mass protests. The area was one of the focus points of the 79-day Occupy movement for greater democracy in 2014, as protesters brought traffic to a standstill on Nathan Road, with the thoroughfare becoming a stretch of tents and rally zones for protesters.

As recently as 2016, violence erupted in Mong Kok after authorities cracked down on unlicensed street vendors on the eve of Lunar New Year. The clashes escalated into a riot, spurred by radicals who found an opportunity to vent their frustrations, resulting in 44 police injuries and 24 arrests.
On social media, the bloody confrontation, which lasted more than 10 hours, was dubbed the “Fishball Revolution”.


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Hong Kong extradition bill

The difference between a Kowloon extradition bill protest and one on Hong Kong Island: it’s more than just fishballs

Protesters occupying Nathan Road after a peaceful march on Sunday. Photo: Felix Wong

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Protesters march from Victoria Park in Causeway Bay to the Central Government Offices in Tamar against the extradition bill on the 22nd anniversary of Hong Kong's handover from Britain to China. 01JUL19 SCMP / Martin Chan

Masked rioters in Mong Kok during clash over illegal food stalls during the three-day Chinese New Year holiday. 09FEB16 SCMP/ Edward Wong

Protesters occupy Nathan Road all the way to Mong Kok after an anti-extradition bill march held from Tsim Sha Tsui to the West Kowloon High Speed Rail Link Terminus. 07JUL19 SCMP / Sam Tsang

Police officers hold the line at Mong Kok as protesters marching from Tsim Sha Tsui through Nathan Road arrive at Mong Kok after an anti-extradition bill marched to the West Kowloon High Speed Rail Link Terminus earlier. 07JUL19 SCMP / Felix Wong

People participate in an anti-extradition bill march held from Tsim Sha Tsui to the West Kowloon High Speed Rail Link Terminus. 07JUL19 SCMP / Felix Wong

Protesters in Mong Kok during "Occupy Central" movement. 06NOV14

Protesters use umbrellas as shields at the junction of Nathan Road and Argyle Street as protesters marching from Tsim Sha Tsui through Nathan Road arrive at Mong Kok after an anti-extradition bill marched to the West Kowloon High Speed Rail Link Terminus earlier. 07JUL19 SCMP / Dickson Lee

Police officers clash with protesters as they retreat after riot police arrived to clear the area. Protesters occupied Nathan Road all the way to Mong Kok after an anti-extradition bill march held from Tsim Sha Tsui to the West Kowloon High Speed Rail Link Terminus. 07JUL19 SCMP / Felix Wong

A picture show photojournalist standing on top of a large road sign in order to take wide shot pictures of the large crowds. Photo: Handout

Riot police stand off against demonstrators on Dundas Street during a protest at night in the Mong Kok district of Hong Kong, China, on Sunday, July 7, 2019. Thousands of demonstrators chanting slogans marched through one of Hong Kong's busiest tourist districts, the latest demonstration in a mass protest movement triggered by a proposed law that would allow extraditions of criminals to mainland China for the first time. 07JUL19 SCMP/ Sam Tsang

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Protesters storm the Legislative Council Chamber in Tamar during a protest against the extradition bill on the 22nd anniversary of Hong Kong's handover from Britain to China. 01JUL19 SCMP/ Winson Wong

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Aerial drone view of anti-extradition bill protesters occupying Harcourt Road and gathering outside the Legislative Council Complex in Tamar, Admiralty, to demand the government scrapping the proposed extradition bill. 12JUN19 SCMP/ May Tse

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Internet users pore over why Sunday’s mass protest did not last late into the night, unlike on previous occasions on the other side of Victoria Harbour
While Tamar in Admiralty is the political heart, Kowloon embodies much of city’s character and history


Internet users pore over why Sunday’s mass protest did not last late into the night, unlike on previous occasions on the other side of Victoria Harbour.
