On the 11th anniversary of the 2014 Umbrella Movement, which fell on September 28th, a number of Hong Kong expatriate organizations in the UK held a parade in London. In addition to expressing demands for Hong Kong’s democratic freedom, they also opposed the British government’s plan to approve the conversion of the former Royal Mint site in London into the Chinese Embassy. Despite the drizzle, approximately one thousand participants raised yellow and black umbrellas, marched through London’s Chinatown, chanting slogans like “No China Mega Embassy,” and distributed leaflets to passersby along the way.
The organizing groups of the parade included the UK Hong Kong Overseas Association, the Hong Kong Civil Representation Congress, Hong Kong Support, the Leeds-Sisterhood Network, the Sutton Arts Society, and around 20 other organizations. They gathered at the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in London at 1:30 PM and marched through Tottenham Court Road, Charing Cross Road, Chinatown, and Trafalgar Square, eventually reaching the statue of Viscount Alanbrooke in Whitehall, the headquarters of the UK government. Some parents pushed strollers while participating in the parade, and many Hong Kongers held up yellow umbrellas created during the 2019 protests.
The organizers stated that this event was not just a commemoration but also a display to the international community that Hong Kongers in exile have not abandoned their belief in resistance. They emphasized that Hong Kongers in the UK, together with Uighurs, Tibetans, Taiwanese, Ukrainians, and other groups, are facing cross-border oppression from the Chinese Communist Party, standing shoulder to shoulder against authoritarian regimes. They described the “China Mega Embassy” as a massive spy center with 200 dormitories and surveillance facilities, located adjacent to the Tower of London, posing a serious threat to UK national security, London’s financial center status, and the safety of residents.
At the starting point of the march, the former General Secretary of the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions, Lee Cheuk-yan, who is wanted by the Hong Kong National Security Police for a reward of one million Hong Kong dollars, spoke. He described the Umbrella Movement as a turning point in Hong Kong’s democracy movement, where hundreds of thousands of Hong Kongers sought democracy through civil disobedience, tearing off the Chinese Communist Party’s mask in front of the international community for the first time, revealing that the CCP never intended to allow Hong Kong to develop democracy. He emphasized that “One Country, Two Systems” and high degree of autonomy are century-old lies. Lee Cheuk-yan urged the crowd not to forget the spirit of the Umbrella Movement, stressing that perseverance is based on belief rather than hope; overseas Hong Kongers should continue to speak out abroad.
Another individual wanted by the National Security Police, the founder of the UK Hong Kong Overseas Association, Simon Cheng, mentioned recent suspected espionage incidents within the Hong Kong expatriate community in the UK. He described the involvement of Clark Leung, who has been exploited by the Chinese Communist Party to undermine the trust of overseas Hong Kongers, placing them at significant risk, as unacceptable. Cheng stated that the UK government had consulted the association on its stance regarding the “China Mega Embassy,” with both him and the association expressing opposition multiple times.
During the culmination of the parade, the renowned British human rights activist and founder of “Hong Kong Watch,” Benedict Rogers, spoke. He mentioned his mother receiving anonymous death threats demanding he stop his work, but he continues to advocate for Hong Kong. He opposes the conversion of the former Royal Mint site in London into the Chinese Embassy, as he believes it would become a spy center, threatening the safety of Hong Kongers and Uighurs living in the UK.
Zhao, a young woman who traveled from Newcastle to London to participate in the parade, told our reporter that Hong Kongers have nothing to fear after moving to the UK, and as long as there is an opportunity, they should take to the streets and do whatever they can. She noticed that while the number of participants in the parade is decreasing, those involved are resolute. A former nurse before emigrating, she hopes healthcare workers in Hong Kong can continue to hold their ground and not become accomplices of the regime; ordinary people can only lie flat.
Reflecting on her views of the Chinese Communist Party, she admitted that she used to be naïve and foolish, hoping that the CCP would improve after the Cultural Revolution and the Tiananmen Square Massacre. However, after the CCP unveiled its true nature, she found it to be grotesque and suddenly awakened. She also noted that many local British people are similarly naive, such as not believing reports of forced organ harvesting and child trafficking incidents.