“Run”
Toby is deeply politicized, even though he sometimes wishes he wouldn’t have to be. Because, he says, it is not only exhausting, but also frustrating to fight and still see your freedom slipping away in front of your eyes. Almost every conversation proves how much politics rule his life. Even when we just talk about banalities he manages to turn the conversation political. Such as this one:
Hey there! How was your evening?
I went to watch a movie with a friend
Are the cinemas in Hong Kong allowed to be full again?
I think they can only be half-full, only two people can sit together
and they have to wear masks throughout the movie
Hongkongers are legally required to wear masks in public, and that helps the protesters because they can’t just be stopped and searched by the police anymore just for covering their face
When was the last time you were active in the protests?
last time super active: November 2019
last time as a participant: July 2020
What do you mean by super-active?
On the streets, confronting the police
Running as fast as I can to avoid getting hurt
But when I put down the gas mask in November I never put it on again
During the protests at the Polytechnic University last year in November the smoke was so concentrated that I could feel my body burning
What exactly happened there?
The siege there lasted for two weeks. But I left early
I found the last available escape
And like two minutes later the route was blocked by the police
I just remember that after leaving the campus my friends and I used all our energy to run
After leaving I immediately sent the route to my friends who were still on campus
Some of them were arrested
That sounds intense. Do you still have the message you sent to your friends?
Go to the Z core (of the university campus)
Take the escalator to the ground floor
There is a thing like a railway level crossing
On the left there is a blue ribbon security guard security guard
On the right there are two police officers
Forget them and try your best to run to the front
Slip under the metal wire
There are steps that go up
When you get to the main road keep running
You will find rescuing vehicles at the front
It’s too late, the police found out about the route
