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Overview
This image was taken in September 2019 by an anonymous photographer associated with the group We Are Kiwi Hong Kongers 香港逃犯條例修訂草案紐西蘭關注組. The raincoat, which features hand-written messages of support for Hong Kong, was placed on Wellington's well-known 'Solace in the Wind' statue during the night as part of a 'flashmob' organised by the group. During this event, activists and their allies quickly spread out around Wellington posting stickers, protest objects and signs in public spaces to draw attention to the protest movement. They subsequently posted images of their activities on to the group's official Facebook page.
The 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movement subsequently evolved and continued through much of the first half of 2020, though the Extradition Bill was withdrawn in October 2019.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.