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  • We begin here in Hong Kong, which is reeling from some of the most dramatic scenes it has seen in years.

  • They want the government to completely scrap a bill.

  • Authorities fired tear gas and pepper spray.

  • We have been shot by rubber bullets.

  • We have been beaten up by the indiscriminate use of the batons of the police officers.

  • And more than 1,500 activists were arrested.

  • We're following breaking news in Hong Kong, where police say a protester was shot by an officer during violent demonstrations.

  • We have seen the erosion of the freedom of speech, the freedom of press.

  • We have 200,000 people took to the streets during the Umbrella Movement, but for now, it's 2 million people, 1/4 of Hong Kong's population.

  • My name is Denise Ho.

  • My name is Brian Leung.

  • I'm Nathan Law.

  • Joshua Wong, activist from Hong Kong.

  • I protest because I believe that autonomy and democracy are the fundamental values that Hong Kong people deserve.

  • I've been arrested for eight times, being prosecute(d) and jailed for three times.

  • I will just continue to fight until the day Hong Kong people can enjoy freedom and democracy.

  • A lot of Chinese propaganda wanted to depict Hong Kong citizens, Hong Kong protesters as rioters, but, in fact, we are a bunch of people who were forced to resist.

  • Before the protests, people probably knew me as the rebellious singer.

  • China's presence and its suppression in Hong Kong is phenomenal.

  • I was elected as the youngest ever lawmaker in Hong Kong in 2016, but under China's intervention, I lost my seat.

  • And more than 50,000 of the voters who voted for me also lost their mandate.

  • The protestors wear masks because they're afraid.

  • They're afraid of the totalitarian control by the government.

  • They are afraid of their identity being revealed.

  • I took off my mask on July 1st because I want to appeal to other protesters who might not agree with our tactics.

  • I want to show them actually behind all the chaos, there are demands.

  • There are young people who really are trying to, you know, make their voice heard.

  • The five demands of the protestors are:

  • We urge government completely withdraw the extradition bill.

  • Withdrawal of the characterization that, you know, protestors are rioters.

  • Independent investigative inquiry on police brutality.

  • Giving amnesty to protesters who have been arrested or prosecuted.

  • Finally, with our cause on free election.

  • Hong Kong is at the forefront of the clash of authoritarian and democratic values.

  • We are going towards an even more authoritarian world, actually, where we are seeing governments ripping the rights of their people very brutally.

  • Hong Kong is in the front lines of this very global fight.

  • I urge the US Congress to pass the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act.

  • Human rights should not be override (overridden) by business interests or trade deal.

  • If you care about democracy, if you care about freedom and human rights, you should join hands with us.

  • And I do call for anyone in the international communities to wake up to the situation where we are seeing regimes taking away these rights from people.

  • And we should fight as one community in solidarity.

We begin here in Hong Kong, which is reeling from some of the most dramatic scenes it has seen in years.

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