A video that has been circulating online shows a group of Chinese nationals attacking young protesters at a pro-democracy demonstration put on by Southampton's expat Hong Kong community in Southampton on June 11, 2023. This isn’t the first violent incident of this nature to occur on British soil, and members of the Hong Kong community say that their Chinese attackers are acting in total impunity.
Members of the Hong Kong diaspora held a pro-democracy protest on June 11 in Southampton, in the United Kingdom, to commemorate the demonstrations that swept Hong Kong in 2019. A few hours later, protesters gathered on Burgess Street, known for its many Asian restaurants and shops.
The protesters reported that they crossed paths with a man they had seen earlier during the protests. He, too, recognised them. They later said that he asked them several times the meaning of the slogan on one woman’s t-shirt ("Fight for freedom, stand with Hong Kong"). Then he and two other people attacked the protesters.
A video of roughly ten seconds that was later posted on Twitter captured what happened next. The three men physically attack the young woman, shaking her and kicking her. They also assaulted a man who tried to defend her.
During the incident, the attackers were chanting "Hong Kong belongs to China" in Mandarin and one of them was waving the Chinese flag – likely indications that they support the vision of the Chinese Communist Party.
The administrative region of Hong Kong has had some level of independence since 1997, when the United Kingdom transferred rule of the region over to China.
However, China’s stranglehold on the island has increased over the past few years.
When Hong Kongers took to the streets in a wave of protests in 2019, Chinese security forces cracked down. In June of that year, the government adopted the so-called “national security law”, meant to muzzle the democratic opposition in Hong Kong. It essentially ended the protests and forced many activists into exile. In response, the United Kingdom made it easier for citizens of this former British colony to get visas, opening its doors to the diaspora.
'Many associate it with what they experienced in Hong Kong'
Amy (not her real name) fled Hong Kong in 2019 after the national security law was enacted on the island, starting a new life in Southampton with her husband and children. On Sunday, June 11, she went to a rally along with several other pro-democracy protesters from Hong Kong.
She told us that, during the protest, she saw one of the attackers who appears in the video – the one wearing a white shirt and waving the Chinese flag.
When we were chanting at the rally we saw this man. We had some banners that said things like "Free Hong Kong" or "Let Hong Kong be Hong Kong". He asked what they were about and took some photographs of some of the protesters. He was repeating that Hong Kong was part of China. Some demonstrators then told him to leave, but he threatened them, saying he would call others. The rally organisers then told us women and children to stand aside. They were afraid it would get out of hand. A few hours later, he ran into the victims again and attacked them along with two other people.
The images of the attack have shocked the Hong Kong community in Southampton. Many associate it with what they experienced in Hong Kong, particularly the attacks in Yuen Long district on July 21, 2019. On that day, demonstrators were attacked by pro-Beijing people, and the police did nothing. [Editor's note: These attacks were attributed to pro-Beijing triads.]
Over the past few days, a lot of people have been afraid. Some don't dare say they're from Hong Kong, and avoid speaking Cantonese (the language spoken in Hong Kong and southern China) too loudly.
I and many others also avoid Burgess Street, where the attack took place, even though I used to go there often, as there are many restaurants and shops selling Asian products.
The name of the perpetrator of the attack circulated on social media. There is a profile on Weibo under that name. His bio explains that he is a student at the University of Southampton. There are many Chinese students doing an exchange program at the university.
This isn’t the first time that tensions have broken out on British soil between supporters of the Chinese Communist Party and Hong Kong protesters.
On October 16, 2022, a man was dragged into the Chinese consulate in Manchester during a pro-democracy protest and beaten up. Because he was in the consulate, the British police were unable to intervene. A video documenting the events circulated widely on Telegram and Twitter. The British government condemned the incident and the Manchester police asked to remove the diplomatic immunity of six Chinese diplomats so they could be tried in relation to the incident. However, the Chinese government decided to recall them back to China instead.
Since Sunday, I no longer feel safe in Southampton. I still feel there was a certain impunity after Manchester. And I have a feeling it's going to happen again.
There is a phenomenon of Chinese thinking Hong Kongers are troublesome. They think of us like dogs who should be beaten in the street. The message this sends to Chinese Communist Party supporters is that they can attack Hong Kongers without consequences on British soil. We expect a firm response from the British government.
"D", another Hong Kong national, has been living in Southampton for three years. She said she still feels optimistic:
What happened in Manchester was much worse. It was the people who worked in the consulate, and they pulled protesters in the consulate. No one, not even police, could go in there to save them. Finally, I have to say I will not be afraid over this. We Hong Kongers will still protest to defend democracy in Hong Kong. And we will definitely keep an eye on the investigation. There is no tolerance for violence!
Our team contacted the group Hongkongers in Britain, which has also called on the UK's government to respond:
The violence against Hong Kong protesters in the UK is a de facto extrajudicial and extraterritorial sanction against people with views opposed to those of the Chinese authorities. We call for justice, accountability and the protection of fundamental rights in Southampton.
The constabulary in Hampshire, the county where Southampton is located, told British newspaper The Guardian that there was an ongoing investigation into a "hate-related assault" and said that two people had sustained minor injuries. The University of Southampton, where the three students study, also said that an internal investigation was underway.
