The Never-Ending Revolt: The Hong Kong Protests on Reddit

Authors

  • Sean Bray

Keywords:

Hong Kong protests, Activism

Abstract

Sean Bray explores the role of Reddit in documenting and amplifying the 2019–2020 Hong Kong protests. The article situates the digital resistance within a historical context, beginning with the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre and tracing the political evolution of Hong Kong under Chinese Communist Party rule. Bray details how Reddit’s r/HongKong subreddit transformed from a local interest group to a hub of pro-democracy activism, emphasizing memes, linguistic identity, censorship resistance, and international solidarity. Drawing on Vaclav Havel’s theory of “living in truth,” the piece argues that online spaces like r/HongKong become vital acts of revolt in authoritarian regimes—offering visibility, moral resistance, and connection in the face of systemic repression.

Author Biography

Sean Bray

Sean Bray studies international relations, specializing in
Chinese and Russian politics. He is also co-founder and editor
of TheDissentChannel.org, which seeks to explain how
geopolitical developments will impact the future of liberal
democracy. He hopes the readers will be inspired by the
courage of the countless protesters who have stood up to the
CCP.

Cover of The Undergraduate Review, Fall 2021 edition, from the Honors College at Rutgers University–Camden. The top features the red Rutgers logo and text: “Rutgers University–Camden Honors College.” The background is a bold, colorful painting of a wide, orange-and-yellow dirt path or road stretching into a vivid landscape of green bushes and rolling hills beneath a blue sky. The title “The Undergraduate Review” and subtitle “Fall 2021” appear in white text near the center. “Volume 2, Issue 2” is displayed in the lower-right corner.

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Published

2025-06-25

How to Cite

Bray, S. (2025). The Never-Ending Revolt: The Hong Kong Protests on Reddit. The Rutgers-Camden Undergraduate Review, 2(2), 6. Retrieved from https://rcur.libraries.rutgers.edu/index.php/rcur/article/view/2224

Issue

Vol. 2 No. 2 (2021): The Undergraduate Review

Section

Articles