City on Fire

A long-term resident and expert observer of dissent in Hong Kong takes readers to the frontlines of Hong Kongs revolution. Through the long, hot summer of 2019, Hong Kong burned. Anti-government protests, sparked by a government proposal to introduce a controversial extradition law, grew into a pro-democracy movement that engulfed the city for months. Protesters fought street battles with police, and the unrest brought the Peoples Liberation Army to the doorstep of Hong Kong. Driven primarily by youth protesters with their Be water! philosophy, borrowed from hometown hero Bruce Lee, this leaderless, technology-driven protest movement defied a global superpower and changed Hong Kong, perhaps forever. In City on Fire, Antony Dapiran provides the first detailed analysis of the protests, and reveals the protesters unique tactics. He explains how the movement fits into the citys long history of dissent, examines the cultural aspects of the movement, and looks at what the protests will mean for the future of Hong Kong, China, and Chinas place in the world. City on Fire will be seen as the definitive account of an historic upheaval.