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In 2011, on assignment for a Hong Kong newspaper, I followed a young artist as she stencilled graffiti that read "Who's Afraid of Ai Weiwei?" What happened next foreshadowed HK's future under the National Security Law.
I met up with her and her crew late one night as they travelled around Central and Sheung Wan, stencilling sidewalks and walls. As you may remember, Ai Weiwei is the dissident artist who was detained and held incommunicado by Chinese authorities in April 2011.
The graffiti seemed relatively innocuous, but the artist and her crew were nervous. For good reason, it turned out. The next day, Hong Kong police's Regional Crime Unit launched a major investigation into the stencils.
With the HK police treating the Ai Weiwei graffiti as a serious crime, the newspaper that commissioned me consulted its lawyers, who advised editors to eliminate any details that might put me at the scene – lest I be charged as an accomplice.
That seemed like an overreaction to me, but as a freelancer, I didn't have much legal protection, so I went along with it. My story was cut down and published as a straight news report, rather than the colourful feature I had initially been asked to write.
Apple Daily wasn't scared, though, and they contacted me about the photos I had taken during my assignment. They ended up publishing them on their front page.
The graffiti artist went into hiding. She kept a low profile for years. Luckily, she was always able to evade police and she was never arrested or prosecuted. Other artists took up the torch and led a sustained campaign to free Ai Weiwei.
Why do I bring this up now? It's to show that, even before last year's protests, anything to do with China was considered particularly sensitive to the HK authorities. Media were nervous about crossing red lines.
But the legal ramifications likely wouldn't have been severe. If the artist had been caught, she may have been charged with vandalism or criminal mischief. Not anymore. Today she would be facing years in prison, maybe even a life sentence, for violating national security.
I would likely be facing national security charges, too. And the newspaper that commissioned my story could have had its newsroom and computers searched without warrant. Hong Kong's freedoms have been crumbling for years. Now they have collapsed completely.
Some may have noticed I have replaced the original ending of this thread.
Many people in Hong Kong struggle with thoughts of suicide. Please know there is help whenever you need it.
https://samaritans.org.hk/services/24-hour-telephone-hotline/
Many people in Hong Kong struggle with thoughts of suicide. Please know there is help whenever you need it.
https://samaritans.org.hk/services/24-hour-telephone-hotline/
I'd like to end this thread with an acknowledgement of the young graffiti artist who invited me to join her that night, knowing full well the consequences the publicity may have had. She passed away a few years later. I'll always remember her bravery.
You may have noticed that I have replaced the final tweet in this thread. It's a small change but one that sits better with me.
If you are in HK and you are struggling with thoughts of suicide, please know that there is always someone here to help.
https://samaritans.org.hk/services/24-hour-telephone-hotline/
If you are in HK and you are struggling with thoughts of suicide, please know that there is always someone here to help.
https://samaritans.org.hk/services/24-hour-telephone-hotline/
