As you walk out on the streets of Hong Kong, you can smell the stark stench of alcohol wafting through the air. You see a mob of people, outraged, attacking the police force. This is what is currently happening in Hong Kong.

Many people are currently protesting over the new anti-extradition laws the Republic of China is debating over. If these bills are passed, then most of the laws and jurisdictions will return to China, making Hong Kong officially part of China.

Hong Kong is a neutral city, where China’s policies are far more lenient than other cities. This brings in countless immigrants and tourists who want to learn more about this politically neutral city. The city is essentially Chinese-based, but many other ethnicities come into Hong Kong for its passiveness to policies.

But this political freedom can be stripped away with the new anti-extradition law China wishes to impose. Large crowds band together and start revolting on the streets of China, with people throwing molotov cocktails at the police force, and the police force mercilessly firing at people with assault rifles.

Sophomore Sophia Kim believes that the anti-extradition laws would lead to extinguishing other cultures, especially language.

“In other cities, speaking any other language than Mandarin can get you arrested. People should have the freedom to use any language they wish, and Hong Kong is the only city they can do that in China.”

Another sophomore, Jacob Kim, has similar beliefs about the strict bills that have caused riots across the city.

“The government shouldn’t limit the laws of Hong Kong, because though the government believes it is right, Hong Kong is its own political state. Since they have this autonomy, they are free to make any policy they want.”

Hong Kong is not just a city, but its own political state. By imposing these laws, the Chinese government is oppressing another political state, similar to how the government does to other states, such as Timur. The Chinese government needs to understand that they do not own everything and they cannot just impose strict bills upon an autonomous political state.

Should the United States stand and watch as Hong Kong is steadily devoured by the greed of the Chinese government? I believe not, and so do many others in the United States. I believe it is our job as Americans, to help our fellow revolutionaries by spreading awareness, reaching out to as many people as possible about this injustice. As a fellow democratic state, we must make sure that the protesters do not lose this fight, for they would “rather die in the fight than to slowly suffocated to death after the loss.” Let us not come to that case of death, and let’s free Hong Kong together.

<Kyle Min/ Los Alamitos High 10th Grade>