On the front page of my Thursday copy of The Wall Street Journal, there is an image of a Hong Kong police officer firing a tear gas canister into a group of protestors. Suffice to say, I was caught off guard and even more so when I found out why the people of Hong Kong were protesting.

According to the Journal, over one million people have taken to the streets of Hong Kong to express their discontent with their government move to push a bill into law that will “allow extradition of alleged criminals to [mainland] China” (A1).

The article went on to say that the protestors have taken to the streets because they are fearful that if the bill is made into law, it “will be abused by Beijing for political ends” (A1, A8).

Obviously, mainland China’s notorious police state is a terrible threat to the individual liberties of the people of Hong Kong. Furthermore, it would appear that the Communist party in mainland China is strong-arming Hong Kong’s legislature in order to grow in power and in influence. While Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam may argue that this law is important for Hong Kong not becoming a “refuge for criminals” she blatantly failed to mention that mainland China consistently labels political and religious activists as criminals. In other words, the Chief Executive and her legislature is making Hong Kong more of a police state at the whims of mainland China’s Communist Party.

While some Americans may see this bill as a Hong Kong problem, I firmly believe that it is an international problem. History has shown us that we, as the human race, will always be at war with government oppression – the photograph depicting police officers shooting teargas and rubber bullets at their own citizens fighting for their civil liberties can attest to that. While police state terrorism tightens its grip on the people of Hong Kong, we as human beings must stand united and denounce the coercive actions of mainland China for what they are: totalitarianism.

As Bruce Lee once said, “The human race is one big family.” Hong Kong’s freedom is inexplicably linked to our own. Therefore, we at Heathens Vox stand with the protestors. While we regret we cannot be with them physically we can however be with them in spirit. Keep up the fight Hong Kong!