Interview Date: 18th July, 2024
[The interview was conducted in Hong Kong Cantonese. Transcript in English translation is provided.]
C: Clara Cheung, G: Gum Cheng, S: Sony
| I. | S: | I’d say in 2014, everything—people’s attitudes, the movement itself—was simpler and less polarized. People didn’t yet see the other side as purely evil. There was a certain innocence. In a single location, like Harcourt Road, some people would come regularly—some singing, some chatting. I think in those moments, people genuinely get to know each other. Social workers might also be there to talk with folks. I think they built closer bonds. |
| By 2019–2020, it was more fluid. The movement had evolved to people wearing masks, moving around from place to place. People often connected through online groups without revealing their real names. Even if they met in person, faces were covered, so they might not know each other’s identity. | ||
| II. | S | Yes, anyone who knows the background would see Harcourt Road as… if not the starting point, at least a key location for pro-democracy activism. I’m not sure whether to call it a “starting point,” “end point,” or “cornerstone,” but it definitely has significance. |
| I. | S: | 我會覺得2014年大家，那個整個行動和大家人與人之間都是比較單純的。就算你對政府那個取態都是比較單純一點的，即還沒到大家很對立，互相都覺得對方邪惡啦，即是我會覺得是大家都傾向單純是一點的…那我相信在那個地點，即是例如大家每晚，隔幾晚又會見一見面，一個禮拜見幾次，那些其實我覺得大家是會真是認識到人，我猜… 我猜真是認識到人和有一點點…大家可能有一班人，譬如舉個例，這個位是有幾個人在那裡唱歌的，這個位大家是在那裡聊天，或者有些社工在那裡和大家聊天，即我會覺得他們會親近一點的，我覺得，我不知道有沒有錯啦。但是去到2019/2020的時候呢，其實因為沒有了一個定點，即大家很‘流水’呀，即是會很機動性，就是已經大家發展到是即後來已經是蒙了臉啦。我相信是譬如如果大家本身是有個group一直check開的，可能大家都只不過是知道大家的外號而已， |
| II. | S: | 我們知道那個脈絡是這樣走下來的話就當然會覺得夏慤道是一個…爭取自由民主的… 起碼是一個… 總之是一個點啦。我不肯定是一個叫做起點還是終點，還是其中一塊[基]石啦。總之它有它的位置的。 |
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Harcourt Road
Curated by Bloc Projects.