PTT

VO: Tonight on Dateline,

Protests rage on the streets of Hong Kong.

They say there is no leader: It’s a war waged by millions of ordinary Hong Kongers against the will of China.

But how exactly is this city mobilising the most coordinated mass protests in history?

HONG KONG: BEHIND THE FRONTLINES

VO: In 3 days… a huge protest is planned… but what really goes into that...and who are the people doing that planning?

Talking to camera (but covered by sequence)

Day 6 C2 @ 01:42:54:06

I’m on the messaging app telegram. Before they’ll talk to me I need to verify that I'm real media.

ALT: 01:56:23:15 - but before they talk to me I have to confirm that I’m from the real media SBS.

And i'm approved..

GFX  - being done

MARC TO CAMERA - ( gfx shot contains the below grab)

Alright, so that is Kwan himself....he is happy to meet us…… so long as we disguise his face and location.  

Marc: I think this is him now

Marc:: Him Marc

Kwan: I’m kwan nice to meet you

VO: I'm here to meet Kwan… the founder of something called the Kwan Kung Temple. It’s the protest’s PR division trying to get their side of the story to the world.

00:46:40] K: It is important for Hong Kongers as a whole to get our voices to the international community

Day 2 C2 @ [00:46:12] K: We have seen foreign journalists who were at a loss when they tried to navigate the sea of information especially if they couldn't read Chinese.

[00:47:06] M: So you view international press almost like a line of defence?

[00:47:11] K: I would say that it's a counterweight to the Chinese authoritarian activities.

Day 2 C2 @ 00:11:24:08

MARC: do you really need to hide your identity?

[00:50:52] K: I'm a prime target. I have connected a lot of protesters with foreign media and the more foreign reports on Hong Kong on the protests, the harder it is for the Chinese government and for the Hong Kong government to suppress us.

VO: It’s for this reason, Kwan is taking…. very serious precautions.

[00:25:32] K: Nobody knows how many people there are in the movement because we are leaderless.

[00:26:12] K: This is close to a direct democracy.

[00:29:01] K: Some people would float an idea... if enough people support the idea, they will support it with their own actions.

[00:29:18] M: And all of those conversations and debates, they're being conducted on what platform?

[00:29:26] K: On Telegram.

00:29:36] M: Are you worried about them being infiltrated by…

[00:29:43] K: They are already being infiltrated.

[00:29:48] M: How do you mean? How are they being infiltrated?

[00:29:50] K: We have known accounts of undercover police officers in there.

[00:29:56] M: And yet the protests still happen, millions of people still come…

[00:30:00] K: Exactly.

VO: The encrypted app Telegram has proven crucial to coordinating this massive protest movement.  Major decisions are voted on, discussed. It’s also where people volunteer. There’s the frontliners. young hong kongers with helmets & homemade body armour taking the fight to the police.

…. But there’s also people providing first aid, transport and in Kwans case, publicity....

Day 2 C2 @ 01:03:14:13

MARC: If I want to get an idea of the scale of this movement can you hook me up?

Kwan: Sure I'll ask around and see if we get some responses

VO: 

So, to understand why Hong Kongers are willing to go to war with their government… we need to go back. 

Hong Kong was leased from China to Britain for 99 years. It was HANDED BACK to the communist regime 1997 WITH A PROMISE: that Hong Kongers COULD KEEP THEIR DEMOCRACY. THEY LABELLED IT: ONE COUNTRY TWO SYSTEMS

The plan was to fully integrate in 2047 - except China doesn’t want to wait.

In 2014, Beijing decided IT WOULD VET, THOSE RUNNING TO LEAD HONG KONG,

In fact, of the 70 people in the legislative council, only 40 are chosen democratically. The others handpicked by the city’s business and industry leaders, who often have significant ties to mainland China

The final straw was this… under current pro-Beijing chief executive Carrie Lam, a law was proposed allowing hong kongers to be extradited to the mainland. Many say the law would be used to round up dissenters.

And that’s where things blew up.

… The bill itself has since been withdrawn but hong kongers have decided now is their chance - maybe their last - to push for the full democracy they were promised….

SFX: sparrow fart

Calm but building music

VO: We’re only 2 days away from the weekend where multiple protests are planned...but there’s one strike on monday that I'm particularly curious about… and using  Telegram, I’ve arranged a meeting with one of the organisers...

00:48:05:19 PTC: so this is a slightly unusual place to have a meeting, an industrial building

00:47:19:20 - Marc: rings door bell

00:50:17:03 - WS issac entering

00:50:42:00

Isaac  - Hey Marc, nice to meet you

Isaac - this is our headquarters.

Isaac Cheng was just 14 when he joined pro-democracy political party Demosisto..

A group that includes well known activist Joshua Wong

At the ripe old age of 19 Isaac is now Demosisto’s vice-chairman. And today he’s organising a strike with some of the party’s youngest members.

Upsot :

[00:56:43] Lets look at the agenda of the school strike. It's roughly like this. We've invited teachers, parents to attend,So in the morning, we won't  invite guests who are so "hard core". The guests in the afternoon will be more important.

VO: Unlike Kwan, Isaac and this group have made concerted choice to not  conceal their identities

[00:01:20]  Removing the mask is showing to the government that we are not afraid for any consequences.

and we as a real people is fighting against the government.

[00:38:56] MARC - why does this movement matter so much to young people in particular?

[00:39:00] ISAAC - Because this movement, Is actually representing the future of this societyin these circumstances, actually Hong Kong teenagers cannot see a society in the future with hope.

[00:48:37] MARC - what do your parents think about what you do?

[00:48:43] ISAAC - actually my parents is a pro-Beijing camp supporters. (MARC - really?!) Yes. And they didn't support me to joining this movement.

[00:49:42] MARC - does that make dinner conversation a bit awkward?

[00:49:47] ISAAC - not only awkward, it's no conversations actually.

VO:

Part of what divides generations here is that these protests are damaging Hong Kong's economy. But that’s the intention.

[01:06:15] ISAAC - Hong Kong is treated as an ATM for China

[01:06:53] ISAAC: So the protester are meant to shut down Hong Kong economies by blocking the roads, by blocking the airports, to shut down Hong Kong economics and frighten Chinese govt.

Marc: day 2:  01:18:00

How long do you think you can keep it up?

The sustained protests?

PAUSE

Kid: We can do this all day (Laugh)

01:14:12:02 upsot: - Isaac: the meeting is finished

UPSOT KIDS GETTING READY TO ROLL

01:24:03:04

Students set off.

01:26:26:03

Hails cab.

UPSOT: KId. We can do this all day (laugh)

The plan is for the protest movement to keep building momentum up until Oct 1^st – the 70^th anniversary of communist party rule in china – which would be a huge embarrassment to Beijing.

One way to keep it going, and hopefully to keep it peaceful is to bring in an army of kids

Isaac and his team are heading to an suburb teaming with teenagers,  to drum up support for the upcoming school strike.

01:30:09:02 upsot; Isaac - Put the table here.

 - This is great. It’s like...

- Posters!

UPSOT: 01:33:31:10 - Isaac - Hi. Take a flyer?

UPSOT: 01:33:53:07 - Isaac - Hi. Take a flyer.

School strike on September 2.

01:35:28:17

Marc: there are some people that say high school kids are too young to get involved in politics.

01:36:47:03

Isaac: For this society, for this government, they are sacrificing a generation of teenagers inside this movement - so when you are putting guns towards the protestors you are putting guns towards the future society.

01:37:27:05@ MARC AND ISAAC WALK OFF

VO

Another reason Isaac is focused on school students, is because he says Hong Kong Classrooms have become a key battleground in the culture war with Beijing…

[01:39:41] Isaac: They already hold the biggest text book publishing companies in Hong Kong. So most of the content are pro-Beijing government

[01:42:08] M: What is the strategy behind changing what is taught in Hong Kong schools?

01:42:19] Isaac: I think they just keep on first, erasing the history. For example, Tiananmen Square. For example, the cultural revolution, etc. And also secondly, praise the Communist Party and the Beijing regime.

01:44:19:24

Isaac - they are only ….

(Guy walks past ripping posters off)

Isaac: - What are you tearing down?

- Go somewhere else.

Stop taking down the posters!

How dare you!

44:42:11:00  - 01:44:52:01

ISAAC: If you don’t agree, put your poster on the wall.

OTHER MAN: What are you tearing?

ANGRY MAN: I will paint this place all red tonight!!

44:54:20

- I’ve recorded you.

- So what? I’m so scared!

35        00:02:24:16     00:02:28:00

That’s fine.

I’ll put more posters up.

45:30:09

Isaac: You shouldn’t tear down the posters.

ANGRY MAN: Because of you, I lost my job.

45:34:24

ISAAC: We didn’t cause you to lose your job. Who made this society so bad? Not us.

ISAAC: It’s the government.

ANGRY MAN: Let me tell you I work in the construction site and my friend works in the hotel. I don’t speak English. You guys crashed the Legco Building so now visitors don’t want to come to Hong Kong. He works in To Kwa Wan. So you indirectly cause us harm.

45:58:02 But the one who harm you is the government.

ALT VO:

As a new day breaks – the Hong Kong government make their move. They’ve banned this weekend’s protest… and gone one step further...

HK 300819 ARRESTS NEWS GRABS_SBS_ID_6097126

00:00 Pro democracy activist Joshua Wong has been arrested in Hong Kong

HK MORE NEWS GRABS_SBS_ID_6097654

00:19 – despite the arrests and cancellation of Saturday's rally  - some pro democracy groups are urging protests to go ahead and demonstrate over the weekend.

DAY 4 @ 00:07:55:15

PTC: Overnight the police rounded up a handful of Demosito leaders we are now on our way back to Isaac Cheng ... we don’t know if he’s going to be there.

DAY 3 @ 00:04:58:02

Marc: here to do an interview with Isaac?

00:05:21:18 - I’m sorry there is a very urgent situation

Marc: everyone has been arrested?

Man: yes.

VO: In recent months, multiple high profile pro-democracy activists have been attacked or thrown in jail.

Many see the arrests as Beijing's way of suppressing of political dissidence Hong Kong… in fact, they have a name for it: White terror.

VO: Isaac, so far, hasn’t been arrested…  but he’s about to give a press conference.

Isaac chanting at presser

Day 3 @ 00:17:35:12 -00:17:57:07

Isaac:  We will not fear white terror, protest against the illegal arrests. Five demands, not one less! Five Demands

Friends of the press...

UPSOT: from Presser: TBC

VO:

Those five demands he’s talking about have been the crux of this protest movement. It’s no longer just about the china extradition bill, which has since been scrapped … there’s also demands to investigate police violence and - most importantly - full representative democracy.

(((SPACE)))

VO - Now that tomorrow’s protest has been deemed illegal

No one is sure who and how many people will show up

But...  when you log onto Telegram, there’s still a complex network of people working to make it happen… in ways you might not expect.

GFX:

DOROTHY: It’s still happening

MARC: Can we talk about it?

DOROTHY: Meet at Hung Fook Tong

Day 3 @ 00:45:45] M: How are you? It's Dorothy right?

[00:45:46] D: Yes. Hi Marc. Nice to meet you.

[00:45:49] M: Why did you want to meet here at Kung Fu Pong?

[00:45:52] D: I just bought some new coupons.

[00:45:54] M: I've heard about these. So what do you do with these?

VO

This is Dorothy. She’s one of an army of Hong Kong mums who buy and deliver food coupons for frontline protestors.

[00:45:57] D: We will give them it to the young protesters in Hong Kong cause some of them need it very much.

[00:46:16] D:  I collect them from friends and we also receive donations from friends and like I simply go and buy it.

VO: Many of Dorothy's friends can’t be seen to support the protests, it jeopardizes jobs and even relationships…

So material support like food coupons, is their way of voicing the 5 demands.

[00:47:05] D: I don't have the courage to go to the front line but we believe that this is a thing that we all have to participate. So instead of being front line, they will be at the back trying to do things to support them.

Day 3 @  00:51:48] M: There's a mood about the city at the moment isn't there? People feel like they're on the edge.

[00:51:52] D: We been on the edge since the last two months right but more and more we have this frustration and anger. People have been patient enough.

00:57:00:08     - walking into home

Upsot opening door

VO: Dorothy believes that frontline protestors... now need more than food to keep the fire burning.

DOROTHY Ok, come on in.

00:57:49:07 - Dorothy: These are the coupons and the messages.

Marc : oh you write little messages. And what do they say?

00:58:09:06

Dor: You have been working very hard its time for you to eat something and recharge

00:58:22:17

Dor: This one, no matter what you have, we are family, Hong Kongers are family

Marc: so it’s not just physical sustenance is emotional sustenance

00:58:37:07

Dor: my belief is that we are not just handing out food coupons  - we are passing encouragement

00:58:52:05 Dor: we want to show to the recipient that we are together with them.

01:19:24:12

In the tv - josh wong and agnes were arrested this morning and they just got bail.

VO: This good news - that the demosisto leaders have been released - is laced with bad news - With tomorrow protests banned there’s now concerns about an escalation of violence and mass arrests.

[01:14:38] M: What do you think is going to happen on the weekend?

[01:14:49] D: I think there will be a difficult time tomorrow. Probably a lot of resistance or probably a lot of... things will probably get out of control.

*** BREATH ***

SET UP NEW DAY

Thousands of people have defied the police ban and are now starting to mass at sites across the city...So far it’s peaceful and no sign of arrests.

VO: We’ve slipped into this building to meet one of Kwans’s contacts…

Marc walks into building

GFX - (MING)

TEXT: 3rd floor - hurry pls.

Ming is a frontliner .. she’s preparing to go toe to toe with the police tonight on the frontline.

[00:22:28] Everybody at the front line will face the same risks including being arrested, 10 years jail time for taking part in riots

[00:24:19] Why is the fight so important to you that you are willing to risk jail time, injuries?

[00:24:44] There are several reasons. The first and basic one is we have come out to protest and we are at the point of no return for this campaign. Indeed we have looked at the situation of Xinjiang concentration (education) camp in China. We truly believe if we lose this time, we not only go to jail and lose 10 years of our time but will also lose our whole  life time. The concentration camp will happen to us. Secondly, we are fighting for our next generation.. We are fighting something we will lose -  which is worth the life of Hong Kong people to protect.

VO: MING is absorbed into a torrent of black…  that starts to flow out onto main roads & highways.

]

VO: Central Hong Kong is now a sea of umbrellas…. not just for the rain… they conceal what’s going on underneath…

VO: Today these former handrails are being repurposed create barricade across the road.

BATTLE OF LEGCO

VO: Around the corner at the legislative assembly the battle lines have already been drawn.

Marc: We’re being told to put on our masks

UPSOT: Chaos

VO: Everything here feels volatile… Soon, the air stars to smell like vinegar… which can only mean one thing.. Tear gas

01:37:44:06: Upsot boom.

01:41:13:19 UPSOT: Boom! Marc jumps

01:38:41:20 -tear gas

VO: As soon as the tear gas hits...

01:39:22:15 - Guy getting treated by medics

VO: You see volunteer first aiders race in to people’s eye & pull them to safety

UPSOT: protest chaos;

VO: Be Water, is the catch-cry of the protesters and as quickly as they gathered, they’ve gone...

(marc: keep the beat here)

VO: Amassing at the next flashpoint.

01:51:53:10 - UPSOT: People are leaving very fast ... walk fast don’ t walk slowly

BATTLE OF THE BARRICADE

VO: protestors have built another barricade, this time outside the Hong Kong police headquarters.

01:56:57:09 - Mother fucker - fuck you!

VO: And...things are about to get heated.

02:01:48:23 - upsot: dudes throwing molotov cocktails.

02:08:13:03  -

Marc PTC - We are metres away from the police headquarters, this is the central business district of Hong Kong and it’s on fire.

BATTLE OF WANCHAI

VO: Up until this point, the police have largely held back.

That...is about to change.

Those riot squads are marching onto the streets are locked and loaded with rubber bullets, tear gas and water canons.

UPSOT: police cracking skulls /chaos

VO: The police are closing in …  the protestors stand their ground.

02:33:01:20 -

02:32:22:13 - group

02:32:12:04 - solo

VO: The battlelines are now defined… and us?

UPSOT: protest chaos / tear gas canisters dropping

02:29:28:04 - PTC: we are literally stuck between the protesters and police right now.

VO: ...Exactly where you don’t wanna be…. when the tear gas lands

marc/will running away/ blurry footage

02:30:37:10 - PTC: any part of your skin that is exposed is burning right now.

02:30:59:15 PTC: And if it gets inside your lungs, the burning goes right inside you .

VO: Out gassed and out gunned, the protest crowd begin to crumble… 

01:50:02:17

MARC : how do you think its going to end?

MAN: I  don’t know, I hope it’s peacefully, if it’s possible.

MAN: but we don’t have options, right. The government has options. We are the citizens, we are supposed to be peaceful

MARC: How much longer can you keep this movement up?

MAN: we can't it’s been two months man....

VO: The streets are starting to clear out.

Police now swoop  from all sides and arrests are being made.

02:18:01:00 UPSOT girl arrested

02:38:57:04 Upsot arrest: Guy being marched by officers

As people start making a break for the train stations, the internet lights up with videos of police brutally beating protestors….

UPSOT: Hong Kong Police Beat Protestors

UPSOT: police beating protestors

VO: At what point does this become too much for a city to bear… where the support that’s sustained the protestors for this long… finally burns out.

((SPACE))

VO: Coming up

The Hong Kong citizens who’ve had enough

00:21:01] PATRICK: Relatively speaking, the protesters don't know how to be grateful. They don't think China is doing them a favour, 

And a stark prediction - from the next generation

[00:40:17] SILVER: When twenty forty-seven comes, they will all just be slaves,

New music

VO: As the city cleans up from the night before - some Hong Kongers are reeling. And feel that all of this has just gone too far…

VO: Patrick is a Hong Kong born and bred businessman… and he’s agreed to meet with us.

MARC -  I’m here.

MARC: I think….

PATRICK - At the end of the wharf.

DAY 2 C1  @ 00:34:37:12 - meet and greet

 VO:  the only reason he’s willing to talk is because he now lives in Russia.

DAY 2 C1  @ 37:22:08

Marc: You are not a fan of the protests. Explain why?

37:2107

They used to protest in a reasonable way to let people know their demand. But now it’s different. Now they throw bricks and petrol bombs. I can’t accept that.

[00:01:49] They are totally not rational or peaceful nor carry out non-violent protests. What I see now are rioters.

38:06:22

Marc: What do you think the impact is on Hong Kong’s economy?

PATRICK: In July, visitors coming to Hong Kong dropped 20%. It is said it can go down to 40%.

VO: According to Patrick Hong Kong needs Beijing to survive.. And the city and the protestors should be grateful to china.

[00:18:45] In fact China has given a lot of things to Hong Kong, but the media has not emphasised. Electricity - I believe some power supply is from China. Not to mention about poultry and foods where most of them are supplied by China. We indeed rely on China for providing us with all these daily provisions.

00:21:01] Relatively speaking, the protesters don't know how to be grateful. They don't think China is doing them a favour, 

[00:23:23] Marc: Among the things that protesters are angry about police brutality and accusations of police brutality.

Patrick: laughs

Marc: Why do you laugh?

[00:23:37] Patrick: Because... It's a matter of causation and consequence. If you don't attack the police, the police won't arrest you or restrain you.

[00:04:53] MARC: Is it possible there is this silent majority  here in Hong Kong that may be agree with you that the protest has gone too far?

[00:05:01] Yes, I think so. 

[00:05:03] M: What makes you so sure?

[00:05:06] They failed to do anything for the future. We can't see anything that they will give to us in the future. We only see damages.

MUSIC CHANGE

there are several takes from different angles - choose the best ones.

PTC

Day 7 C1 @ 00:03:31:19

Much of what the protesters are fighting for is quite intangible…… its culture, its history, it’s their identity… their also fighting the inevitable.

Day 7 C1 @ 00:04:04:08

So over on that horizon is Mainland china…. and every day they strengthen their resolve…..

Whether it’s 2047 or sooner… it is only a matter of time before they take control.

Day 7 C1 @ 00:05:22:24

But if there is a chance for Hong Konger’s to fight that future… this generation will be the one to make the last stand…

ADD BREATH

UPSOT: RAIN

VO:  Today is day 1 of the new school term. A day which some think will mark the end of Hong Kong’s summer of protest.

But Issac Cheng knows it won’t.

He’s spent weeks organising this….A school strike - encouraging students to walk out every Monday, every week, until their demands are met

Day 8 Cam 1@ [00:08:35] ISAAC: secondary school student is the future of the Hong Kong society. And since they have to get into society they must face the injustice at this stage, they have to fight for the freedom for the ____ (?) values for the future society, something must come out in this critical moment.

VO: And if 12yo Charlie is anything to by…this generation have some fight in them yet.

Day 6 C2 @[00:27:53] I think the campaign has been kept going for so long and it is very successful. Because we are united and form the same line.

[00:22:57] I think we need to persist, only persistence can bring hope, not the other way round.

ISAAC:

Day 6 C1 @ [00:58:58] Revive Hong Kong!

[00:59:15] Hong Kong People ( Go!) Hong Kong people ! (Go!)

[00:59:24]

VO: Dorothy is also here, being a mum to yet another wave of democracy fighters

[00:45:06:18] Dorothy

I'm passing around the snacks cos its past lunchtime and some of them might be hungry….

VO: it’s not just food she’s offering today

Upsot: Want a mask?

DAY 6 C1 @ 00:46:32:02 Dorothy - I've been handing out masks - simply to protect their identity.

00:47:40:00: Dorothy: do you want a mask?

00:48:01:00: Keep them and if you don’t want them give them to the younger ones?

UPSOT: dorothy - protects identity.

VO: Its a paper thin safeguard, for an uncertain future. 

SHOT OF KIDS IN MASKS

ISAAC:

Day 6 C1 @ [00:58:58] Revive Hong Kong!

[00:59:15] Hong Kong People ( Go!) Hong Kong people ! (Go!)

[00:59:24]

UPSOT: 01:17:21:23;

Dorothy - come closer and we can share the umbrella.

Day 6 C1[00:57:01] Being a student, you are the biggest weapon

Day 6 C1[00:58:40]. I believe we will win one day. We must not give up. One day we can walk tall and take off our masks. Go Hong Kong people ( Go)

 Even hardcore frontliners have come to support the students… But it’s in a conversation with one of them: a 27 yo named Silva where the true toll of a city at war with itself… becomes painfully clear…

[00:35:01] SILVER: We are fighting for a permanent future,

[00:39:19] SILVER:...I've no one to love. I have nothing to care, but this, but this. So, I'm willing to die. For this. 

[00:39:34] MARC: Why?

[00:39:37] SILVER: Because this is our home. Why won't you fight for your home, as simple as that? Why won't you fight for your home?

(silva breaks down crying)

We are trying to do our best to...to fight for at least two or three decades. Do you see the students around here? 

[00:40:17] SILVER: When twenty forty-seven comes, they will all just be slaves, they are just...when twenty forty-seven comes, the students will all become middle aged and they will all be slaves, we will all be slaves. 

[00:40:53]... If we don't fight right now we don't have a chance.

MARC VO

Between a leaderless movement…and an immovable regime…  there is no clear path for the future of these kids..

It’s now been 15 straight weeks of demonstrations. 1,300 people have now been detained by police and each weekend sees more petrol bombs and tear gas.

It’s hard to see how Hong Kong can go ever back to normal. And maybe… that’s the point…

ALT
WHATEVER HAPPENS NEXT, ITS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE HOW HONG KONG CAN GO BACK TO NORMAL AFTER THIS

ISAAC - I cannot just, fool myself and just pretending everything is normal and just life goes on like that.

...a promise is a promise, democracy is democracy. So this is the final goal we are fighting for.

“In the hours after this protest, Isaac Cheng was beaten up and ended up in hospital”