The young activists’ aspirations – to assemble peacefully, to speak freely, to not be persecuted – are a universal cause
Why do the Hong Kong activists matter to us? Because their cause is universal. Aerial images of vast crowds flooding the streets of the skyscraper-studded island are of course riveting. Equally fascinating is that, with China fast emerging as a global behemoth and surveillance state, this crisis serves as a barometer of what we might next expect of it and its president-cum-new-emperor, Xi Jinping.
There’s also an astounding element of David versus Goliath in Hong Kong, something that awakens a deep instinct in us, a yearning to see bravery and determination in the face of great odds: young people defying a giant and leveraging surprising tactics in their struggle.
Continue reading...from The Guardian http://bit.ly/2L0wFVa
