In a recent article in The Atlantic, UNC School of Information and Library Science (SILS) Associate Professor Zeynep Tufekci paints a chilling picture of the Hong Kong protests, one full of fear, violence, and without an end in sight.

Tufekci walked the street among the protesters, interviewing people until police arrived with tear gas, pepper spray, and a water-cannon truck.

“The seasoned protesters are less and less afraid of the tear gas. Some wear tear-gas masks…Some wear flimsy surgical masks, which may help conceal their identity, but don’t do anything for the burning sensation in their eyes, throat, and lungs,” she writes. “They cough, they run, they wash their eyes with saline or water, and they go on. They do, however, fear being kidnapped or killed.”

One protester insisted to Tufekci that while they may not win, they can’t give up.

“Because if we do, there will be no future for us anyway. We might as well go down fighting.”

Read the full article here.

---