UQ Students Keep Fire Burning for Hong Kong Protests

It's July 24 2019, the smell of Lynx body spray, Mi Goreng noodles and semi-expired iced coffee reaching the lips of young uni freshers is running rampant in the hot midday musk of another sunny day in Brisbane, Queensland.

Today is Market Day for the University of Queensland (UQ). 
The start of Semester Two is already going as planned; a sea of fresh-faced students are blindingly stocking up on free junk food, opening bank accounts with Commonwealth Bank and taking selfies with the Law Society for a laugh. However, when the clock strikes 10am, the mood of the campus takes on a different aura.
Only three hours later, a sea of students would clash on the campus over the issue of 'genocide' in China and suggested ties UQ has with key figures and organisations in China. 

“IT WAS ORIGINALLY QUITE A SMALL PROTEST, I HAD ORGANISED IT MAINLY THROUGH FACEBOOK. WE HAD RECEIVED SOME DEATH THREATS AND WARNINGS NOT TO HOST THE PROTEST (BY CHINESE NATIONAL STUDENTS). BUT WE WENT AHEAD WITH THE PROTEST REGARDLESS AND OUR PLAN WAS TO PEACEFULLY SIT IN AT A MAJOR WALKWAY AT UQ ON MARKET DAY.” 

Initial protest 

On July 24 2019, the first protest from the Brisbane International Student Solidarity with Hong Kong group took place in the Great Court of the University of Queensland outside Merlos Cafe. On paper, the small group planned to erect a Lennon Wall outside Campbell Place on the UQ St Lucia campus before staging a small and peaceful sit-in protest, but what transpired was very different. As the sit-in began, students crowded around the protest - it was in a major walkway, the public's attention was caught, all seemed to be a success. Over the loud sub-par pop mix blasting from a nearby stall, a far less thumping "banger" started to ring out - the Chinese national anthem. 

“WE WERE SURROUNDED BY PROBABLY A FEW HUNDRED CHINESE NATIONALIST STUDENTS THAT BEGUN PLAYING THE CHINESE NATIONAL ANTHEM FROM A BOOMBOX.”

As the loud wave of protesters approached, Pavlou attempted to confront the group, but this only lit a fuse which would see the campus descend into madness. Foreign fluids were poured over the head of group leader Drew Pavlou and a standoff began. Pavlou received a swing to the back of the head and fell to the ground, others were pushed and spat on as UQ security remained idle to the side. Delaying intervention due to worries over implications on free speech, as well as the sheer number of protesters involved in the clash. When they eventually tried to break up the altercation, security guards were bitten by the Nationalists. The group of "thugs" were later found to be completely unaffiliated with UQ or any market day activities. 

Photo credit: Twitter.

“DURING MEDIATION WITH SECURITY, THE LEADER OF THE CHINESE NATIONALIST DELEGATION, FRANK WONG, TOLD ME THERE WERE NON-STUDENTS ON HIS SIDE THAT HE COULDN’T CONTROL.” 

As tensions reached boiling point, the sit-in fled to another area of campus: The Confucius Institute. A building exemplifying the very issue their protests are addressing: there are 13 Confucius Institutes across the country, all are funded by the Chinese State and viewed as 'propaganda machines.' Once arriving, Pavlou and associates began to live-stream the last phase of their protest from within what they believe is the beacon of the universities toxic ties with China. However, this was short-lived as news of drama once again escalating at the sit-in interrupted them. 

Whilst this small group enacted their sit-in live stream, chaos was still ensuing at the area of the original protest. Migrating from the chaotic scene of the first sit-in outside the resident UQ Merlos Cafe to the popular soapbox area of the Grassy Knoll, 50 metres away. Unfortunately, this is where the standoff turned ugly with protesters in choke-holds, a woman struck in the face and many thrown to the ground. Security tried as much as they could to keep the activities civil, but the only end came when both parties finally evacuated the area as increased security broke up proceedings. 

What are they fighting for? 

Protests in Hong Kong have been a staple for a considerable length of time with the latest wave focusing on the introduction of an extradition bill. A bill which if brought into law would allow the extradition of criminals from Hong Kong to Mainland China, a process which many are against due to the history of unbalanced legal proceedings in China. Furthermore, perceptions of freedom in Hong Kong are at one of their lowest points in 20 years, with massive pro-democracy protests still sweeping across the region. Many political activists fear they will be targeted for extradition to mainland China if the bill is passed. 

At the time of the UQ protests, this bill was still being put across the table but has since been withdrawn. However, the bill is still not completely removed but merely 'put in the filing cabinet' so to speak, frightening many to the possibility of interest in the bill sparking up again. A more alarming issue also at the forefront of the UQ protests is the detention and genocide of Muslim communities in China. More than 1 million Uighur people are being detained in China, while more than 15,000 religious sites have been demolished. The systematic destruction of Uighur culture within China appears to be in full swing as these populations are tortured and killed. 

Both sides of the protest altercation come down to a fight between supporters and opposers of the Communist regime of China. 

The man with the plan 

At the heart of the Brisbane International Student Solidarity with Hong Kong group is Drew Pavlou, a young 20-year-old Literature, Philosophy and History student with an immense interest in poking fun at the absurd and standing up for the fundamental human rights of our species. 

“I’VE BEEN FOLLOWING THE EVENTS THAT HAVE BEEN HAPPENING IN HONG KONG FOR A WHILE NOW, INCREASINGLY SHOCKED AND SADDENED BY THE USE OF TERRIBLE FORCE AGAINST PEOPLE PROTESTING. I’VE ALSO BEEN FOLLOWING THE ONGOING CULTURAL GENOCIDE OF THE UIGHR PEOPLE IN XIANG AND CHINA’S WESTERN REGIONS. IT WAS THESE TWO COUPLED WITH MY UNIVERSITY'S INCREASING CLOSE TIES WITH THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY THAT MADE ME FEEL LIKE WE HAD TO ACT.” 

Pavlou has unfortunately faced an uphill battle getting his message across, due to the current anti-activism culture being perpetuated by treatment of Extinction Rebellion protests by media and otherwise. 

“WHENEVER A POST COMES UP ABOUT OUR PROTESTS, I SEE COMMENTS SAYING “THESE RADICAL STUDENTS, THEY NEED TO PUT THEIR HEAD DOWN AND GET A JOB” TO WHICH I SAW IS VERY CRINGE AND VERY EMBARRASSING. TO THOSE THAT SAY THAT, I SAY THERE ARE MORE IMPORTANT THINGS IN LIFE THAN BEING A CORPORATE DRONE AND UPHOLDING THE STATUS QUO.” 

Despite the battles, Pavlou remains steadfast in his approach to bring down the university's ties with the communist party. Campaigning for the removal of UQ Vice Chancellor Peter Hoj for his personal ties to the CCP, campaigning for the UQ senate on a ticket of bringing honesty to the university's bureaucracy, as well as organising protests around the greater Brisbane area to bring awareness to these issues. 

In the aftermath of the first protest, the internet became the strongest weapon for pro-CCP supporters to attack Pavlou and co. 

“IN THE DAYS FOLLOWING, I ALONG WITH A NUMBER OF OTHER HONG KONG STUDENTS WERE DOXXED. WE HAD OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PROFILES PUBLISHED ONLINE, THROUGH THAT I HAD HUNDREDS OF COMMENTS ATTACKING ME, DEATH THREATS. OTHER STUDENTS FARED WORSE, I KNOW SOME HONG KONG STUDENTS HAD PASSPORTS, BIRTH CERTIFICATES, CITIZENSHIP'S LEAKED ONLINE WITH COMMENTS SAYING ‘WE WILL NEVER LET THEM REST PEACEFULLY IN BRISBANE.’ PROBABLY THE WORST PART WAS WE HAD SOME CHINESE-NATIONAL STUDENTS WHO STOOD WITH US AT UQ WHO WERE IDENTIFIED BY THE BRISBANE CONSULATE. BASED ON THAT IDENTIFICATION, THEIR FAMILIES BACK HOME WERE PAID SPECIAL VISITS BY OFFICIALS, BASICALLY THREATENING THEIR SAFETY IF THEIR CHILDREN'S PROTEST ACTIVITIES IN AUSTRALIA CONTINUED.” 

While hundreds of messages flooded the inboxes of those involved in the protest as well as intense hate-fuelled rants painting comment sections the popular UQ student discussion group: UQ Stalkerspace.
In the age of Russian hacking and fake accounts, the question of whether these "student accounts" were real quickly joined the discussion. 

July 30: time to get UQ security on board....but at what cost 

The second protest took place on July 31st, with more than 300 students congregating on the UQ grounds once again for a peaceful sit-in. However, with rumours of identification devices being used by undercover CCP agents to identify protesters and prosecute their relatives back home, numbers began to dwindle. 

“WE HAD PROBABLY ABOUT 300/400 PEOPLE THERE. DELEGATIONS FROM THE FELON GONG COMMUNITY IN BRISBANE, TIBETAN COMMUNITY, HONG KONG COMMUNITY, ALTHOUGH MANY HONG KONG STUDENTS WERE FEARFUL OF ATTENDING BASED ON THE IDENTIFICATION SCARE.” 

Prior to the first protest, the protest group abstained from meeting with university security to discuss their event. Ahead of the second protest, the group and notified security due to safety concerns. Unfortunately for Pavlou, these conversations with the University quickly became a game of UNO where the University held all the draw fours. 

“I HAD A HEAD OF SECURITY AT UQ GIVING US THE CONDITIONS THAT THEY WANTED US TO ADHERE TO FOR THE JULY 31ST PROTEST. ONE OF THEM BEING THAT WE HOLD IT IN A NONDESCRIPT LOCATION ON CAMPUS AWAY FROM THOROUGHFARES AND BASICALLY TO STARVE OUR PROTEST OF OXYGEN. WHEN THEY WERE GIVING US THOSE CONDITIONS THEY SAID “WE LIKE YOU BEING STUDENTS AT UQ, WE WANT THAT TO CONTINUE INTO THE FUTURE.” THEY WERE SAYING THAT IN THE CONTEXT OF GIVING US THE CONDITIONS FOR FUTURE PROTESTS SO WE OBVIOUSLY VIEWED THAT AS AN IMPLICIT THREAT TO OUR FUTURE ENROLMENTS.” 

The intensity of the second protest was far more lukewarm, which can be attributed to a heavy police presence. Many were justifiably scared to attend with threats of their attendance affecting the welfare of family back home. There was also a number of people in attendance who were identified as nationalists from the last protest. Many of whom were filming, most likely sent to help identify those involved. Many UQ students involved with the first protest also abstained from attending, due to worries their attendance could lead to issues concerning their enrolment at UQ or future employment within the university. 

“(THE LENNON WALL) WAS RIPPED DOWN THREE NIGHTS IN A ROW, DESPITE THE FACT THAT UQ HAS 24/7 SECURITY. I’VE SEEN IMAGES OF THE SECURITY FOOTAGE, THESE WERE ALL MASKED MEN COMING AT 1AM, RIPPING IT DOWN. THE PRO-CCP NATIONALIST WALL WHICH WAS ABOUT 10 METRES AWAY AND INCLUDES SLURS OF HONG KONG PROTESTORS AS DOGS AND AS A RABID MOB/ZOMBIES, THIS WALL WAS NOT TOUCHED. I THINK IT WAS DEFINITELY AT THE DIRECTION OF CHINESE-NATIONALIST STUDENTS THE LENNON WALL WAS RIPPED DOWN. IT WAS PRETTY DISAPPOINTING THAT WITH UQ’S 24 HOUR SECURITY THIS DIDN’T PROTECT THE WALL SEEMINGLY.” 

The Lennon Wall has been ripped down six times as of publication, however, an official placement for a Lennon Wall on campus is set to be enacted at the beginning of 2020. Alongside this new wall, increased security and installations of anti-graffiti.

Drew Pavlou 2020? 

The latest instalment in the Hong Kong protest saga sees an unsurprising turn to politics for Pavlou and a historic turnout for students politics. Running on a platform of "Keeping the Bastards Honest,' Pavlou used his love of the humble meme to encourage a record 2000 vote majority for his run for UQ Senate. As a senator, Pavlou has promised to "donate his salary to Amnesty International in aid of the genocide currently. taking place in China." Pavlou is also currently seeking legal action against China's consulate-general in Brisbane over allegations of threats made. With Peter Hoj set to retire in June 2020, and Pavlou's official start as UQ senator set to begin in the new year, UQ is set to become an increasingly tumultuous area for discussion around Australia's ties to China.

WORDS: NICOLAS HUNTINGTON
PHOTOGRAPHY: TIAGO ROSADO ON UNSPLASH