How to Fight Authoritarianism – Lessons Learned from Hong Kong

Authoritarianism is on the rise. We can see this trend all over the world - be it in China under Xi Jinping, in Russia under Putin, and even when we look at the anti-democratic practices by western politicians such as Victor Orban and former US president Donald Trump. Dictators deprive citizens of their basic human rights, the right to choose the government they believe in, the right to free speech, and in some cases even the right to freedom of movement. In times like these we must remember the values and freedoms we hold most dear and fight to protect existing democratic rights.  

In 2020, the Chinese government imposed a draconian national security law in Hong Kong that gave the government broad new powers to punish critics and silence dissenters. It put an end to life as Hong Kongers knew it and crushed the pro-democracy protest movement that had made headlines across the world in 2019.

Nathan Law was one of the student leaders, politicians and lawmakers at the forefront of fighting against government repression in Hong Kong. He now lives in exile in London and recently published his first book with the title "Freedom: How We Lose It and How We Fight Back". In this session, Katharin Tai is going to discuss with Nathan how people can and do fight against authoritarianism and for democratic freedoms, how the national security law has changed Hong Kong, and where we might be able to find hope in the face of overwhelming odds.