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Overview
This image was taken by an anonymous activist in front of the Executive Wing of New Zealand's parliamentary complex (also known as the ‘Beehive’) in support of the Hong Kong protest movement in 2019. The photo was shared online shortly after it was created and was intended to convey New Zealand-based support for the protest movement.
Prior to taking the photo, the activist used a 3D printer to create the mini replica of the Lady Liberty statue pictured (see below). It is one of several photos taken by the activist featuring the statuette outside various iconic places around Wellington.
Lady Liberty Hong Kong
Designed by users from the LIHKG forum, the original Lady Liberty Hong Kong was a four-metre statue created in August 2019 during the Hong Kong protests. The statue was publicly displayed in multiple locations before being hauled to the top of Lion Rock, Kowloon, which was intended as the statue's ‘final resting place’. The next day, however, the statue was vandalised and removed by unknown assailants.
Hong Kong protest movement and Aotearoa
The Hong Kong protests were originally incited by the proposed Fugitive Offenders and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Legislation (Amendment) Bill 2019. Also known as the Hong Kong Extradition Bill, the proposed legislation would have enabled Hong Kong residents to be extradited to mainland China to face trial. The protest movement subsequently evolved and continued through much of the first half of 2020, though the Extradition Bill was withdrawn in October 2019. On 30 June 2020, the Chinese legislature approved the controversial National Security Law, bypassing Hong Kong’s own elected legislative council. This law effectively outlawed activities perceived as dissenting or secessionist, including the possession of protest banners and flags carrying slogans associated with the protest movement such as ‘Free Hong Kong/Revolution of our Times’.
The Hong Kong protests have garnered significant international attention due to Hong Kong’s importance to the global economy and the political aspects of China’s increasing prominence as a global player. In Aotearoa New Zealand, the protests have prompted wide-ranging debates, including those relating to democracy and freedom of speech, New Zealand’s relationship to China and the government’s obligations to those connected to Hong Kong but based here, among them international students and temporary visa holders, as well as citizens and permanent residents with familial and cultural links to Hong Kong.