Where is feminism in the Hong Kong protests? Gender, diversity and the struggle for democracy.

In the summer of 2019, the introduction of a bill allowing extradition from Hong Kong to mainland China sparked mass demonstrations in Hong Kong that quickly developed into a wider, pro-democracy anti-government movement resulting in months of protests. In the face of government intransigence and police brutality, the protests have become more confrontational and violent, and have been met with increased use of force by the police. How can and should feminists respond to this escalating cycle of violence? What interventions are feminists making within the movement? What concerns cannot be voiced? It is obviously very necessary to condemn the excessive use of force by the police and their sexual harassment of and assaults on women protesters. We also, however, need to go beyond this to think about the wider effects of the culture of violence on women and on marginalised individuals and communitiesand break through the silences imposed by the prevalence of the Valiant ideology in the movement. In a context where young people, including young women, are risking their health, lives and futures in facing the forces the police unleash against them, where one cannot but admire their courage and feel outrage at the injuries they are suffering, raising any doubts about movement tactics and their wider social effects is hard. Moreover, feminist issues can – and often are – seen as inconsequential in the context of fighting for the future of Hong Kong. Yet any struggle for democracy and freedom should be concerned with wider issues of social justice and equality, where a feminist perspective is essential.