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Amid the chaos of last year’s protests in Hong Kong, one woman stood out: veteran protester Alexandra Wong, 64.
“Grandma Wong,” as the younger activists affectionately called her, became known for deploying a giant union at every protest. For Ms. Wong, the flag, which is despised by the Chinese Communist Party for representing British colonial rule in Hong Kong, was the ultimate symbol of defiance.
Authorities ran out of patience in August 2019 and detained her on her way to her home in Shenzhen across the border in mainland China. But after a 14-month absence, he has again protested in Hong Kong, as open as ever despite a crackdown on dissent on the territory under a national security law imposed by Beijing in June.
Although he is not as well known abroad as some of the Hong Kong protest leaders, such as Joshua Wong, the student activist, or Jimmy Lai, the dissident media mogul, few epitomized the courage and resilience of the pro-movement. of the territory’s democracy with as much force as Ms. Wong. his supporters said.
Some even talk about nominating her for a Nobel Prize. “Grandma Wong is an inspiration to generations of pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong,” said Lord Alton of Liverpool, who is a member of the group that supports the Nobel Prize campaign.
In an interview with the Financial Times, Ms Wong said she feared Beijing was hell-bent on suppressing the high degree of civil, legal and political freedom promised to the Asian financial center upon its handover to China from the UK in 1997.
“I am prepared to die,” Ms. Wong said. “They will oppress us if we don’t protest and we will lose more freedoms.”
A diminutive figure with a mop of gray hair, the retired accountant became a full-time protester during the territory’s first major pro-democracy protests, the 2014 Umbrella Movement, when student activist Mr. Suffrage.
When new protests broke out last year, this time over a proposed extradition law, Ms. Wong became a regular fixture, often getting caught up in battles between protesters and the police. His distinctive union jack was meant to express his appreciation to the former British colonial government for establishing the rule of law in the territory and an excellent educational system.
But the flag also caught the attention of the Chinese authorities. After her arrest in mainland China, she was detained for 45 days and questioned about her involvement in the protests and her activist contacts.
Ms. Wong recalled sleepless nights in a cell lying on a single platform with 16 women shoulder to shoulder under bright lights. The conditions led her into a deep depression. “I wanted to kill myself,” he said.
She was then followed by a patriotic “re-education” trip to China’s northwestern province of Shaanxi, where she was forced to sing Communist Party songs and wave a Chinese flag. Finally, Ms. Wong was released on bail after being accused of “causing fights and causing trouble”.
He was allowed to return to Hong Kong in October and, despite official warnings from mainland authorities, resumed his protests. The Shenzhen Public Security Bureau did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Authorities argue that the crackdown in Hong Kong is necessary to protect national security and curb protests last year, which began peacefully but escalated into city-wide clashes between police and protesters.
In addition to arresting activists, the Hong Kong government is purging dissent from the legislature, public administration and schools. The national security law imposes penalties of up to life imprisonment for crimes such as subversion, collusion with foreign forces and terrorism.
Ms. Wong is also under pressure. The pro-Beijing newspaper Wen Wei Po has called her the “crazy colonial mistress.”
Since her return to the city, Ms. Wong has been charged with assault for allegedly shoving a security guard in a Hong Kong court last year.
Single with no children of her own, she said she viewed Hong Kong’s young protesters as her grandchildren and urged them to flee to the UK or Canada and keep protesting.
“The more people escape, the better,” he said.
Since her return to Hong Kong, Ms Wong has attended court hearings to support young protesters and has organized individual protests in front of the city legislature and the office of Carrie Lam, Hong Kong’s executive director.
She admitted to being afraid of the new national security law, but said she felt safer in Hong Kong, where the media could still report on her whereabouts.
“I don’t want to leave Hong Kong. Hong Kong needs me, ”he said.
Ms. Wong has replaced her trademark Union Jack, which was confiscated by authorities in mainland China, with a cloth bag emblazoned with a huge version of the British flag. She uses it to carry her protest paraphernalia.
