London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Sep 29, 2025

‘We’ll just come back’: Hong Kong protesters push on despite sweep of pro-democracy murals

‘We’ll just come back’: Hong Kong protesters push on despite sweep of pro-democracy murals

Beijing’s supporters on Saturday answered the call of a firebrand lawmaker to strip pro-democracy messages plastered on walls and subway stations around this Asian financial capital, stoking fears of renewed clashes as anti-government protests push into their 16th weekend.

Supporters of the Chinese government removed vibrant murals of Post-its and artwork, known as “Lennon Walls,” which have become a symbol of the protest movement. In the meantime, pro-democracy marchers clashed with police in an exchange of gasoline bombs and tear gas.

“They want to tear down all the material because they want to silence us,” said a black-clad protester named John, 30, who works in real estate. “We don’t care how much they tear down; we’ll just come back tomorrow, every night and day.”

Protesters remained unfazed by the sweep of Lennon Walls and showed no signs of backing down. Nor does the government show any willingness to make concessions, and tensions are running high as the 70th anniversary of Communist Party rule in China approaches.

The public mosaics expressing support for the democracy movement have come to define Hong Kong’s protests since they erupted in June over a controversial extradition bill. Though the bill has been shelved by the city’s embattled leader, Carrie Lam, protesters are digging in on their remaining four demands, including free elections and an independent inquiry into police violence this summer.

Behind the mural sweep was outspoken lawmaker Junius Ho, who became a polarizing figure after a shocking subway attack on July 21 when a mob of white-shirted, rod-wielding men with Chinese flags stormed a station and indiscriminately beat civilians, injuring at least 45 people, including journalists and a lawmaker. Ho was accused of colluding with the attackers after he was filmed in the area that evening shaking hands with men wearing white. He has denied any connection.

Protesters preempted the sweep by plastering pictures of Ho on walkways by Lennon Walls so cleaners would need to remove them. Passersby took videos of themselves walking on the pictures, which had been marked with fangs and expletives.

“They have the right to do it,” said Poon, a 35-year-old designer who identified himself by his surname, referring to Ho’s supporters tearing down the murals. “No one can stop them. They have the right to express their opinions, only no violence.”

Ho returned to headlines Wednesday after the powerful Hong Kong Jockey Club canceled a race in which his horse, Hong Kong Bet, was participating. The club said it scrapped the event due to “potential social unrest,” fearing the stadium would become the next protest flash point.

Meanwhile, in Hong Kong’s western area of Tuen Mun, thousands crowded into every inch of shade as they congregated in a playground. A small group of protesters played soccer while others handed out protest gear such as face masks and protective sleeves for identity cards to prevent the tracking of personal information. Police estimated that 4,300 attended the Tuen Mun rally.

Hong Kong’s subway closed two stations ahead in anticipation of clashes.

Ostensibly the demonstration was about damas, or “singing aunties,” women who sing loudly into microphones in parks late at night and dance for men and donations. Depending on the neighborhood, protest events often take up local issues. A police ban on the damas event was overturned.

But as the shouts and cheers indicated, it was another anti-government demonstration. Protesters in the stands chanted “Liberate Hong Kong! Revolution of our times!” and “Add oil!” Black-clad protesters played soccer before unfolding umbrellas to kick off a march under the sweltering sun.

“The Hong Kong government is still not responding to the five demands,” said Harrison, 28, an airline worker. “We want to keep fighting until the day they respond to our five demands. We keep fighting until the police pay for what they’ve done to us.”

By late afternoon, the march devolved into confrontations between police and protesters near a shuttered subway station. Protesters threw bricks, built barricades and set fires. A few burned a Chinese flag — a major offense in the eyes of Beijing. Police charged and fired tear gas.

The police have come under intense scrutiny since Amnesty International this past week issued a report accusing them of an “alarming pattern” of “reckless and indiscriminate” tactics against protesters.

Before Hong Kong, a former British colony, was returned to Chinese sovereignty in 1997, Beijing promised that the city would have a high level of autonomy for 50 years. Hong Kongers were supposed to enjoy freedoms denied to those in mainland China, such as rule of law, a free press and independent judiciary.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
U.S. Defense Chief Orders Sudden Summit of Hundreds of Generals and Admirals
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
Trump Claims FBI Planted 274 Agents at Capitol Riot, Citing Unverified Reports
India: Internet Suspended in Bareilly Amid Communal Clashes Between Muslims and Hindus
Supreme Court Extends Freeze on Nearly $5 Billion in U.S. Foreign Aid at Trump’s Request
Archaeologists Recover Statues and Temples from 2,000-Year-Old Sunken City off Alexandria
China Deploys 2,000 Workers to Spain to Build Major EV Battery Factory, Raising European Dependence
Speed Takes Over: How Drive-Through Coffee Chains Are Rewriting U.S. Coffee Culture
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Ringo Starr Champions Enduring Beatles Legacy While Debuting Las Vegas Art Show
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
FBI Removes Agents Who Kneeled at 2020 Protest, Citing Breach of Professional Conduct
Trump Alleges ‘Triple Sabotage’ at United Nations After Escalator and Teleprompter Failures
Shock in France: 5 Years in Prison for Former President Nicolas Sarkozy
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
BNP Paribas Abandons Ban on 'Controversial Weapons' Financing Amid Europe’s Defence Push
Typhoon Ragasa Leaves Trail of Destruction Across East Asia Before Making Landfall in China
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Big Banks Rebuild in Hong Kong as Deal Volume Surges
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Arnault Denounces Proposed Wealth Tax as Threat to French Economy
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Denmark Investigates Drone Incursion, Does Not Rule Out Russian Involvement
Lilly CEO Warns UK Is ‘Worst Country in Europe’ for Drug Prices, Pulls Back Investment
Nigel Farage Emerges as Central Force in British Politics with Reform UK Surge
Disney Reinstates ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ after Six-Day Suspension over Charlie Kirk Comments
U.S. Prosecutors Move to Break Up Google’s Advertising Monopoly
Nvidia Pledges Up to $100 Billion Investment in OpenAI to Power Massive AI Data Center Build-Out
U.S. Signals ‘Large and Forceful’ Support for Argentina Amid Market Turmoil
Nvidia and Abu Dhabi’s TII Launch First AI-&-Robotics Lab in the Middle East
Vietnam Faces Up to $25 Billion Export Loss as U.S. Tariffs Bite
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Indonesia Court Upholds Military Law Amid Concerns Over Expanded Civilian Role
Larry Ellison, Michael Dell and Rupert Murdoch Join Trump-Backed Bid to Take Over TikTok
Trump and Musk Reunite Publicly for First Time Since Fallout at Kirk Memorial
Vietnam Closes 86 Million Untouched Bank Accounts Over Biometric ID Rules
Explosive Email Shows Sarah Ferguson Begged Forgiveness from Jeffrey Epstein After Taking His Money
Corrupt UK Politician Ed Davey Demands Elon Musk’s Arrest for Supporting Democracy
UK, Canada, and Australia Officially Recognise Palestine in Historic Shift
Alibaba Debuts Open-Source Deep Research Agent with Benchmarks Rivaling OpenAI
Marcos Faces Legacy-Defining Crisis as Flood Projects Scandal Sparks Massive Tide of Protests
China’s Micro-Drama Boom Turns Stalled Real Estate Projects into Lavish Film Sets
New Eye Drops Show Promise in Replacing Reading Glasses for Presbyopia
'Company Got 5,189 H-1B Visas, Then Laid Off 16,000 Americans': US Defends New $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Golf legend tells Omar she should be 'sent back to Somalia' after her Kirk comments
EU Set to Bar Big Tech from New Financial Data Access Scheme
China Bans Livestreaming and AI in Religion Amid Crackdown on Shaolin Temple Scandal
×