Hong Kong town of Yuen Long haunted by black and white colours of protesters and gangs amid extradition bill crisis
- Some feel judged or targeted for wearing black while others still tormented by images of white-clad mob beating up commuters
- Tensions continue in a city already rocked by weeks of protests, with calls to recognise problem as a breakdown in system and policy
She has since suffered from insomnia, haunted by the harrowing images of white-clad men with sticks and metal rods beating up commuters indiscriminately.
The housewife, 36, said she was furious at the mob and frustrated with police’s seeming inaction, while worrying for her son, aged three.
“I will avoid going out with him at night,” Chan said. “What will happen if we are on the train and people start beating others up? Will my son be traumatised for the rest of his life?”
Chan is among residents of the town in the New Territories still anxious over the unprecedented violence that erupted on Sunday night, as masked men in white stormed Yuen Long station, appearing to target protesters returning from the city centre who had earlier marched against the now-suspended extradition bill. In the chaos that ensued, the mob also attacked other commuters, especially those in black, the theme colour of demonstrators.
The city’s embattled police force has come under fire for not responding in a timely fashion.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the Hong Kong Red Cross had received at least 23 calls through its psychological support hotline from people who felt “frightened, angry, concerned and sad” about the attack.
“There is no way out. Protesting is useless. Calling police is useless,” Chan said. “All I can do is avoid going out. My child’s safety is of utmost importance.”
Coming protest, no faith in police lead to anxiety in Yuen Long
On Tuesday evening, Steven Wong, a 56-year-old company director who does not live in Yuen Long but grew up there, went to the railway station with an umbrella and helmet. He wanted to see the place he still has emotional ties with, but brought along gear in preparation for any violence.
“[The white-clad men] were creating terror and trying to force people to step back – but stepping back will only encourage them,” he said.
[The white-clad men] were creating terror and trying to force people to step back – but stepping back will only encourage them
“I grew up in Yuen Long and I understand the place very well.”
In the aftermath of the bloody attacks in which at least 45 people were injured and 11 have been arrested, the colour of one’s clothes has become a sensitive issue, with white associated with triads thought to be behind the incident, and black for extradition bill protesters.
Student Ryan Mickey Lee, 19, said he felt people were judging him for wearing black, especially in the New Territories.
“When I wear black, I can feel some elderly people staring at me thinking that I am one of those whom, as they say, disrupted society,” he said. “I will just ignore their glares – if we do not stand up to protect our future now, what will happen to us?”
When I wear black, I can feel some elderly people staring at me thinking that I am one of those whom, as they say, disrupted society
Chan said she did think about not dressing her son in black, but added: “You can’t just judge a person by the colour they wear.”
Sunday’s attacks in Yuen Long were the latest escalation in what has been weeks of protests against the hated extradition bill, which would have allowed the transfer of fugitives to jurisdictions with which Hong Kong has no such agreement.
Protesters want the bill completely withdrawn, among other demands. A major march that day ended in clashes with police, who used tear gas in the heart of the city.
The late-night violence that followed in Yuen Long only further deepened rifts in society, heightening tensions in social circles.
Chan said she would avoid discussing the topic with family members, who held different political views.
“For some people, you just can’t discuss this with them,” she said.
Wong also said he had different political views from his wife, who was content as long as they had a roof over their heads. But over the years she slowly accepted his views too and they rarely enter into debates on their stances.
Cook caught in Yuen Long violence recalls ordeal
Education University sociology lecturer Dr Minnie Li Ming said the ongoing movement had not only widened rifts between the young and elderly, but also between local and mainland Chinese students.
On Tuesday night, a mainland alumni of the City University was arrested for tearing down anti-bill posters and memos from the “democracy wall” in the campus, and pushing a democracy goddess statue to the floor.
Li said other mainland Chinese students found themselves sandwiched between rival camps even if they supported the cause of their local peers, as those back home disagreed with them while their schoolmates did not trust them.
The lecturer said for Hong Kong to move forward, people should recognise the divisions in society stemmed from inadequate systems and policies, and dialogue on equal footing was needed.
“That’s what a democracy is all about,” she said.
Meanwhile, Lee and Wong, both Yuen Long natives from different generations, pledged to join the coming protest planned for the area.
“I hope everyone, even though we may not achieve much, will come out and voice their opinions. Yuen Long is part of Hong Kong after all. It’s better than doing nothing,” Lee said.
Additional reporting by Tony Cheung and Su Xinqi
