Wednesday, April 4, 2018

The Students' Movement

I took this photo in 2016, at a massive student protest in the city. I paid my respects to the revolutionary students' movement yesterday -- not because I agree or disagree, I said, but to show them that somebody cares. But I sensed that the mood had changed, so I didn't stay. I sent them a note afterwards: they had become wary. They sent me a warm reply. OBSERVATION: Since 2016, they had a series of serious confrontations with the law -- partly through their own unlawful actions, partly through repression. As young people dreaming of a future, they were suddenly faced with massive trauma. My feeling is that this has taken its toll -- thus the wariness. Recently the government met major demands of the movement. Now the movement wants people -- to put it too simply -- to forgive. They want a process which will normalise the situation.

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