HONG KONG - Mak’s children ran to her when they awoke to find a young man sleeping on an inflatable mattress in the middle of their toy room surrounded by a miniature play kitchen, blocks, trains, cars and drums.
“I’d been thinking about what I can contribute,” said Mak, who asked to be identified by her surname. “I was aware of youngsters in the movement not having enough money or shelter or a place to take a rest. This is the minimum we can do.” Their stories reveal the breadth of support for the movement, the toll the protests have taken on families and the community spirit kindled in the chaos.In a city with some of the most expensive property per square foot in the world, many Hong Kongers, like Katrina, live in tiny, crowded apartments.
There is no definitive measure of how many Hong Kongers support the protest movement, which has morphed into opposition to perceived Chinese meddling with freedoms promised to the former British colony. China denies such meddling. “Carrie Lam says she is a mum and she treats Hong Kong youth as her kids. But you know why children do attention-seeking actions?” she said of Lam, who had no comment on how she was characterized. “Because you ignore them.”
Many young protesters say they now dread dinnertime, a cornerstone of family life in Hong Kong, because it usually degenerates into arguments over the demonstrations. “Some of the kids think it’s all coming from me, but I say there’s a lot of people behind me. They break into tears,” Nam said. “It’s not just about the basic needs, but it’s also about the love and care from a stranger.”Cheung, 27, works in a hostel in the Kowloon shopping district of Tsim Sha Tsui – an area repeatedly hit by protests. The owner told staff to allow protesters to stay for free or store gear such as helmets, masks and shields to avoid detection from police, Cheung said.