香港抗议者背后的志愿者大军Behind Hong Kong’sProtesters, an Army of Volunteer Pastors,Doctors and Artists HONG KONG — The pastor pulled on hisrespirator and ran directly into the fog oftear gas in central Hong Kong. Hewas trailed by a homemaker, a retiredaccountant and a middle-school teacher.
With their yellow vests and portable loudspeakers, Pastor Ka-Kit Ao andhisvolunteers are an unmistakable presence at the antigovernment proteststhat haveupended thissemiautonomous Chineseterritory. Theyform human cordons between protesters and advancingpolice. Theybeg baton-swinging officers to go easy. And they solicitthe names of thosebeing hustled away in handcuffs so pro bono lawyers canfollow up withassistance.
“I sometimes wonder whether we aredoing anything of value, but we can’t justsit at home,” Pastor Ao, 34, saidone recent afternoon before heading into themaelstrom with members of hisgroup, Protect the Children.
Now entering their sixth month, Hong Kong’s protests have been notable fortheirlongevity, and forthe huge throngs willing to defy the authoritieswith their demands fordemocracy and police accountability. Violent clasheserupted acrossthe city on Monday,as a police officer shot a demonstrator and a manarguing with protesters wasset on fire.
the scenes,this largely leaderless movement has been sustained by a vastnetwork ofordinary people who hand out bottled water and red bean soup atmarches, drivehome stranded protesters late at night and donate the gas masksthat fortifydemonstrators during their pitched battles with police. Hong Kongprofessionalshave been especially vital.
Graphic artists create the eye-catching protestposters acrossthe city. Psychologists provide free counselingto the emotionally distressed.And emergency room doctors, working inclandestine clinics, set shatteredbones.
One measure of community spirit can be heard many nights at 10 p.m.,whenresidents in densely packed neighborhoods open their windows and shoutprotestslogans to the heavens. Another is expressed through the crowdfundingcampaignsthat have raised millions of dollars for medical treatment, legaldefense fundsand other expenses.
“Without this public support, the movement would have lost steam a lotsooner,”said Victoria Hui, a political scientist at the University of NotreDame andthe author of a book about theUmbrella Movement,the 2014 pro-democracy protests that fizzled after10 weeks. “It encouragesyoung people to keep going, giving them the sense theyare not alone and thatwhat they are doing is righteous.”
“如果没有公众的支持，这场运动失去动力的时间会早得多，”圣母大学(University of Notre Dame)政治学家许田波说，她写过一本关于雨伞运动的书，这场2014年的民主抗议活动在10周后失败。“这鼓励着年轻人坚持下去，让他们觉得自己并不孤单，他们所做的事情是正义的。”
Although actions like setting the man on fire risk eroding support, theprotestmovement so far has enjoyed broad backing among Hong Kong’s sevenmillionpeople. A recentsurvey bythe Chinese University of Hong Kong found that nearly60 percent of respondentsapproved of the protesters’ violenttactics,agreeing that they were justified in the face of anincreasingly aggressivepolice response and a government unwilling to compromise.
“The more the government suppresses this movement and tries to scare people,themore people will step out and stand up,” said Pastor Roy Chan, a founderofProtect the Children, which has nearly 200 members.
The encrypted messaging app Telegramserves as the town hall for the supportnetwork, with dozens of channels thatmatch volunteers to those in need. Mostprolific are the channels offeringrides to protesters affected by the subwayshutdowns that the authoritiesimpose to dampen protest turnout. The rides alsohelp protesters avoid thepolice sweeps that target public buses.
Like many drivers, Patrick Chan, 38, a garment factory manager, said fearofarrest kept him away from the protests, most of which the police havedeemedillegal. Guilt and shame, though, are powerful motivators.
Mr. Chan spends hours in his beat-up BMW sedan ferrying weary, sweat-drenchedprotestersto housing complexes across the city.
帕特里克·陈开着破旧的宝马轿车，载着疲惫不堪、汗流浃背的抗议者前往香港各处的住宅区。
“These young people are trying to right the wrongs that we have longbeenavoiding,” he said, referring to Beijing’s two-decade effort to chip awayatthe vaunted liberties that differentiate this former British colonyfrommainland China. “They are paying with their futures, risking thepossibility ofbeing locked up for years. We owe them.”
The sense of public service has also mobilized dozens of doctors, nursesandmedics. Much of their work takes place in secret. That is because all butthemost grievously injured protesters avoid Hong Kong’s hospitals followingthearrest in June of several people who had sought care for broken bones andblunttrauma. These days, the injured are sometimes treated at clandestineclinicsthat provide X-rays and rudimentary surgery.
Dr. Tim Wong works the protests after his regular hospital shift. Anemergencyroom doctor, he decided to act after the police made a number ofarrests at hishospital, which he declined to name for fear that it mightendanger hisemployment.
“Since then, no one has come to ouremergency room for treatment, unless theyare escorted by the police,” he said.“It’s outrageous. Hospitals should besanctuaries.”
One recent evening, he hovered near the front lines of a skirmish as Molotovcocktails,bricks and tear gas canisters arced overhead. Many of those needingmedicaltreatment were bystanders caught up in the mayhem.
then, Pastor Aoand another member of his group rushed by carrying a man injuredby a tear-gascanister. All three of them were weeping. “I can’t believe this ishappening toour city,” the pastor wailed as they dragged the man to a first aidclinicinside a Methodist Church that has become a beacon for protesters.
Earlier that afternoon, Pastor Ao and scores of volunteers had gathered atasubway station to plot the day’s movements. After dividing up into teamsofseven, he reminded everyone to refrain from chanting slogans and urged themtobe polite to law enforcement authorities.
“They might call us cockroaches but we should refer to them as policeofficers,”he said. Then everyone bowed their heads in prayer. “May we haveGod’sprotection and the patience, love and wisdom to deal with the police,”Pastor Aosaid.
Volunteers say the police rarely return the favor, treating them asantagonists.In September, the police were widely criticized after avideo emerged thatappeared to show a knot of officers kicking aProtect the Children member as helay on the ground. The man, wearing thegroup’s trademark yellow vest, was laterarrested.
At a news conference, a senior police official dismissed allegations ofabuse,suggesting that the video had been doctored and that what many saw as apersonwas actually “a yellow object.” In the weeks that followed, the group’sranksswelled with new recruits, Pastor Ao said.
Many of the group’svolunteers are retirees like Ah Lin He. Afiery, reed-thin woman, Ms. He, 68,was born in the Chinese city of Guangzhouand swam to Hong Kong in 1972 toescape the chaos of the Cultural Revolution.She doggy-paddled for 10 hourswith five other people. Only three of them madeit to shore.
该团体的很多志愿者是像何亚林（Ah Lin He，音）一样的退休人员。现年68岁的何亚林是个纤瘦而顽强的女性，她生于中国广州市，1972年为避文化大革命的混乱而游到了香港。她和另外5个人一起狗刨式游了10个小时。只有3人成功上岸。
“I’ve seen the repression and madness that can be unleashed by the CommunistsinChina,” she said as the group trudged to a protest that hadturned violent.
Walking beside her was Joe Pao, a29-year-old pastor, who joined the group aftera brief stint as a protester. “Irealized I could do something more useful thanthrowing bricks,” Pastor Paosaid.
He acknowledged that his role as a putative peacemaker was rarelygratifying.Most of his work involves urging the police to exercise restraint.“When theycatch people, we tell them to please respect the powers they have andnot abusethem,” he said. “The impact is definitely small.”
The majority of protest supporters operate more independently. Nam Kwan,acultural foundation administrator, has fed, housed and comforted scoresofyouths whose parents, enraged by their participation in the protests,tossedthem out of their homes.
She traces her transformation from silent sympathizer to frenetic den mothertoJune 12, when the policeescalatedtheir tactics byfiring rubber bullets and beanbag rounds atunarmed protesters.
“When I heard the first gunshot, a bell rang inside me and I automaticallyfoundmy place,” she said. “Nowadays my phone is on 24 hours a day because I’mafraid Imight miss urgent messages or calls for help.”
In addition to buying protective gear for protesters, she coordinatesfinancialsupport and car pools from wealthy friends eager to help but reluctantto do sopublicly. Oftentimes, she finds herself on the street, dispensing hugsorpatiently listening to the worries of young protesters.
“Every time these kids go to thefront lines, they fear for their lives,” shesaid. “But what they fear more isabandonment, that one day we will all turn ourbacks and leave them alone.”
HONG KONG — The pastor pulled on hisrespirator and ran directly into the fog oftear gas in central Hong Kong. Hewas trailed by a homemaker, a retiredaccountant and a middle-school teacher.
香港——在香港市中心，这位牧师戴上防毒面具，直接冲进催泪瓦斯的烟雾中。跟在他后面的是一名家庭主妇、一名退休会计师和一名中学教师。
Undaunted by the pandemonium of gaspingprotesters, theypointed people to safety and poured saline into theeyes of those overcome bythe fumes.
大群惊慌失措、气喘吁吁的抗议者没有令他们生畏，他们把人们带到安全的地方，用生理盐水给那些被烟雾熏到的人冲洗眼睛。
With their yellow vests and portable loudspeakers, Pastor Ka-Kit Ao andhisvolunteers are an unmistakable presence at the antigovernment proteststhat haveupended thissemiautonomous Chineseterritory. Theyform human cordons between protesters and advancingpolice. Theybeg baton-swinging officers to go easy. And they solicitthe names of thosebeing hustled away in handcuffs so pro bono lawyers canfollow up withassistance.
区家杰（Ka-Kit Ao，音）牧师和他的志愿者们穿着黄色背心、带着便携式扩音器，在令这片半自治中国领土陷入动荡的反政府抗议活动中，他们格外醒目。他们在抗议者和前进的警察之间组成人墙，恳求挥舞着警棍的警官不要那么咄咄逼人。他们要求提供那些被铐起来带走的人的名字，这样公益律师就可以继续提供帮助。
“I sometimes wonder whether we aredoing anything of value, but we can’t justsit at home,” Pastor Ao, 34, saidone recent afternoon before heading into themaelstrom with members of hisgroup, Protect the Children.
“我有时会想，我们是不是在做有价值的事情，但我们不能只是坐在家里，”不久前的一个下午，34岁的区家杰牧师说，之后，他和他的组织“守护孩子”的成员一起冲进了混乱的现场。
Now entering their sixth month, Hong Kong’s protests have been notable fortheirlongevity, and forthe huge throngs willing to defy the authoritieswith their demands fordemocracy and police accountability. Violent clasheserupted acrossthe city on Monday,as a police officer shot a demonstrator and a manarguing with protesters wasset on fire.
如今，香港的抗议活动已进入第六个月，引人注目之处包括抗议活动持续时间长，大量民众愿意挑战当局，要求民主和警察问责。周一，全城爆发暴力冲突，一名警察向一名示威者开枪，一名与抗议者发生争执的男子身上被人点了火。
the scenes,this largely leaderless movement has been sustained by a vastnetwork ofordinary people who hand out bottled water and red bean soup atmarches, drivehome stranded protesters late at night and donate the gas masksthat fortifydemonstrators during their pitched battles with police. Hong Kongprofessionalshave been especially vital.
在街头场景之后，这场基本上没有领袖的运动得到了广大普通市民的支持，他们在游行中分发瓶装水和红豆汤，深夜开车送被困的抗议者回家，捐赠示威者与警察激战中提供保护的防毒面具。香港的专业人士尤其重要。
Graphic artists create the eye-catching protestposters acrossthe city. Psychologists provide free counselingto the emotionally distressed.And emergency room doctors, working inclandestine clinics, set shatteredbones.
平面艺术家在城市各处创作引人注目的抗议海报。心理学家为情绪低落的人提供免费的心理咨询。在秘密诊所工作的急诊室医生们帮抗议者接骨。
One measure of community spirit can be heard many nights at 10 p.m.,whenresidents in densely packed neighborhoods open their windows and shoutprotestslogans to the heavens. Another is expressed through the crowdfundingcampaignsthat have raised millions of dollars for medical treatment, legaldefense fundsand other expenses.
很多个晚上，10点过后还能听到体现社群精神的声音，居住在人口密集地区的居民们打开窗户，对着天空大喊抗议口号。还有一场众筹活动募集了数百万美元用于医疗、法律辩护基金和其他开支。
“Without this public support, the movement would have lost steam a lotsooner,”said Victoria Hui, a political scientist at the University of NotreDame andthe author of a book about theUmbrella Movement,the 2014 pro-democracy protests that fizzled after10 weeks. “It encouragesyoung people to keep going, giving them the sense theyare not alone and thatwhat they are doing is righteous.”
“如果没有公众的支持，这场运动失去动力的时间会早得多，”圣母大学(University of Notre Dame)政治学家许田波说，她写过一本关于雨伞运动的书，这场2014年的民主抗议活动在10周后失败。“这鼓励着年轻人坚持下去，让他们觉得自己并不孤单，他们所做的事情是正义的。”
Although actions like setting the man on fire risk eroding support, theprotestmovement so far has enjoyed broad backing among Hong Kong’s sevenmillionpeople. A recentsurvey bythe Chinese University of Hong Kong found that nearly60 percent of respondentsapproved of the protesters’ violenttactics,agreeing that they were justified in the face of anincreasingly aggressivepolice response and a government unwilling to compromise.
虽然像纵火烧人这样的行为可能会失去民众支持，但到目前为止，抗议活动在香港700万民众中获得了广泛支持。香港中文大学最近的一项调查发现，近60%的受访者赞成抗议者的暴力策略，他们认为，在警方的反应越来越咄咄逼人，以及政府不愿妥协的情况下，抗议者的做法是合理的。
public supportpresents a thorny challenge to the authorities, who have beenhoping to quellthe protests by driving a wedge between theincreasingly radical agitatorsand those sympathetic to theircause.
公众的支持对当局来说是一个棘手的挑战，他们一直希望通过离间日益激进的煽动者和同情者来平息抗议。
“The more the government suppresses this movement and tries to scare people,themore people will step out and stand up,” said Pastor Roy Chan, a founderofProtect the Children, which has nearly 200 members.
“政府越是压制这场运动，越是试图吓唬人们，就会有更多的人站出来，”如今已拥有近200名成员的“守护孩子”创始人之一陈凯兴牧师说。
The encrypted messaging app Telegramserves as the town hall for the supportnetwork, with dozens of channels thatmatch volunteers to those in need. Mostprolific are the channels offeringrides to protesters affected by the subwayshutdowns that the authoritiesimpose to dampen protest turnout. The rides alsohelp protesters avoid thepolice sweeps that target public buses.
加密信息应用Telegram充当了这个支持网络的议事大厅，有几十个频道为志愿者匹配需要帮助的人。最有成效的是那些为受地铁停运影响的抗议者提供乘车服务的频道。地铁停运是当局为抑制抗议人数而采取的措施。这些便车服务还帮助抗议者避开针对公共汽车的警方检查。
Like many drivers, Patrick Chan, 38, a garment factory manager, said fearofarrest kept him away from the protests, most of which the police havedeemedillegal. Guilt and shame, though, are powerful motivators.
和许多提供便车服务的司机一样，38岁的制衣厂经理帕特里克·陈(PatrickChan)说，大部分抗议活动被警方认为是非法的，因为担心被捕，他没有参加抗议。然而，内疚和羞愧是强大的动力。
Mr. Chan spends hours in his beat-up BMW sedan ferrying weary, sweat-drenchedprotestersto housing complexes across the city.
帕特里克·陈开着破旧的宝马轿车，载着疲惫不堪、汗流浃背的抗议者前往香港各处的住宅区。
“These young people are trying to right the wrongs that we have longbeenavoiding,” he said, referring to Beijing’s two-decade effort to chip awayatthe vaunted liberties that differentiate this former British colonyfrommainland China. “They are paying with their futures, risking thepossibility ofbeing locked up for years. We owe them.”
“这些年轻人正在努力纠正我们长期以来一直避免的错误，”他说。他指的是中国政府20年来一直在努力削弱香港引以为豪、令这个前英国殖民地与中国大陆之间有所不同的自由。“他们赌上自己的未来，冒着被关押多年的风险。我们欠他们的情。”
The sense of public service has also mobilized dozens of doctors, nursesandmedics. Much of their work takes place in secret. That is because all butthemost grievously injured protesters avoid Hong Kong’s hospitals followingthearrest in June of several people who had sought care for broken bones andblunttrauma. These days, the injured are sometimes treated at clandestineclinicsthat provide X-rays and rudimentary surgery.
这种公共服务意识也调动了几十名医生、护士和医务人员。他们的很多工作是秘密进行的。这全是因为，6月份，几名寻求治疗骨折和钝挫伤的抗议者被捕，此后除了伤势最重的抗议者外，所有人都会避开香港的医院。如今，伤者有时会在提供X光和基本手术的秘密诊所接受治疗。
Dr. Tim Wong works the protests after his regular hospital shift. Anemergencyroom doctor, he decided to act after the police made a number ofarrests at hishospital, which he declined to name for fear that it mightendanger hisemployment.
医生蒂姆·王（Tim Wong，音）在平常医院轮班后会协助抗议活动。他是一名急诊室医生，在警方在他所在的医院逮捕了很多人后，他决定采取行动，因担心危及工作，他拒绝透露医院名称。
“Since then, no one has come to ouremergency room for treatment, unless theyare escorted by the police,” he said.“It’s outrageous. Hospitals should besanctuaries.”
“从那以后，没有人再来我们急诊室接受治疗，除非他们有警察护送，”他说。“这太过分了。医院应该是避难所。”
One recent evening, he hovered near the front lines of a skirmish as Molotovcocktails,bricks and tear gas canisters arced overhead. Many of those needingmedicaltreatment were bystanders caught up in the mayhem.
最近一个晚上，他在一场冲突的前线附近徘徊，燃烧弹、砖块和催泪瓦斯罐在头顶盘旋。许多需要医治的人是被卷入混战的旁观者。
then, Pastor Aoand another member of his group rushed by carrying a man injuredby a tear-gascanister. All three of them were weeping. “I can’t believe this ishappening toour city,” the pastor wailed as they dragged the man to a first aidclinicinside a Methodist Church that has become a beacon for protesters.
就在这时，区家杰牧师和另一个团队成员载着一个被催泪瓦斯罐击伤的男子冲了过来。他们三个都哭了。“我没法相信我们的城市发生了这样的事，”牧师哭着将男子拖到急救诊所，诊所所在的卫理公会教堂已成为抗议者的一座灯塔。
Earlier that afternoon, Pastor Ao and scores of volunteers had gathered atasubway station to plot the day’s movements. After dividing up into teamsofseven, he reminded everyone to refrain from chanting slogans and urged themtobe polite to law enforcement authorities.
那天下午早些时候，区家杰牧师和几十名志愿者聚集在地铁站，策划当天的行动。在分成7个小组后，他提醒大家不要喊口号，并敦促他们对执法官员要有礼貌。
“They might call us cockroaches but we should refer to them as policeofficers,”he said. Then everyone bowed their heads in prayer. “May we haveGod’sprotection and the patience, love and wisdom to deal with the police,”Pastor Aosaid.
“他们可能会叫我们蟑螂，但我们应该叫他们警察，”他说。然后每个人都低下头祈祷。“愿上帝保佑我们，赐我们耐心、爱心和智慧以应对警察，”区家杰牧师说。
Volunteers say the police rarely return the favor, treating them asantagonists.In September, the police were widely criticized after avideo emerged thatappeared to show a knot of officers kicking aProtect the Children member as helay on the ground. The man, wearing thegroup’s trademark yellow vest, was laterarrested.
志愿者说警察很少投桃报李，而是把他们当作对手。9月份出现一段视频显示一小群警察似乎在踢一个躺在地上的“守护孩子”团体成员，警方因此受到广泛批评。男子身着该组织的标志性黄马甲，后被逮捕。
At a news conference, a senior police official dismissed allegations ofabuse,suggesting that the video had been doctored and that what many saw as apersonwas actually “a yellow object.” In the weeks that followed, the group’sranksswelled with new recruits, Pastor Ao said.
在新闻发布会上，一名高级警官否认了虐待指控，称视频被篡改过，很多人看到的人实际上是个“黄色物体”。区家杰牧师说，在接下来的几周里，该团体随着新成员的加入而壮大。
Many of the group’svolunteers are retirees like Ah Lin He. Afiery, reed-thin woman, Ms. He, 68,was born in the Chinese city of Guangzhouand swam to Hong Kong in 1972 toescape the chaos of the Cultural Revolution.She doggy-paddled for 10 hourswith five other people. Only three of them madeit to shore.
该团体的很多志愿者是像何亚林（Ah Lin He，音）一样的退休人员。现年68岁的何亚林是个纤瘦而顽强的女性，她生于中国广州市，1972年为避文化大革命的混乱而游到了香港。她和另外5个人一起狗刨式游了10个小时。只有3人成功上岸。
“I’ve seen the repression and madness that can be unleashed by the CommunistsinChina,” she said as the group trudged to a protest that hadturned violent.
“我目睹过中共所能释放的压迫和疯狂，”她说，此时这群人正拖着沉重的步伐走向一场已转向暴力的抗议活动。
Walking beside her was Joe Pao, a29-year-old pastor, who joined the group aftera brief stint as a protester. “Irealized I could do something more useful thanthrowing bricks,” Pastor Paosaid.
走在她旁边的是现年29岁的牧师乔·鲍（JoePao，音），他在做了一小段抗议者之后加入了该团体。“我意识到我可以做一些比扔砖头更有用的事，”牧师乔·鲍说。
He acknowledged that his role as a putative peacemaker was rarelygratifying.Most of his work involves urging the police to exercise restraint.“When theycatch people, we tell them to please respect the powers they have andnot abusethem,” he said. “The impact is definitely small.”
他坦陈，人们假定他应该是个调解者，但他在这方面很少能取得多少成效。他的大部分工作是敦促警方保持克制。“在他捉了人的时候，跟他们说，请你尊重你现在所有的权力，亦都不要滥用，”他说。“影响是一定很少。”
The majority of protest supporters operate more independently. Nam Kwan,acultural foundation administrator, has fed, housed and comforted scoresofyouths whose parents, enraged by their participation in the protests,tossedthem out of their homes.
大多数抗议支持者的运行方式要相对独立。管理着一家文化基金会的关南（Nam Kwan，音）为几十名因参与抗议活动激怒父母、被赶出家门的年轻人提供了食宿和慰藉。
She traces her transformation from silent sympathizer to frenetic den mothertoJune 12, when the policeescalatedtheir tactics byfiring rubber bullets and beanbag rounds atunarmed protesters.
她认为自己从沉默的同情者到无所顾忌的宿管阿姨的转变始于6月12日，那天警方升级了战术，朝手无寸铁的抗议者发射橡皮子弹和豆袋弹。
“When I heard the first gunshot, a bell rang inside me and I automaticallyfoundmy place,” she said. “Nowadays my phone is on 24 hours a day because I’mafraid Imight miss urgent messages or calls for help.”
“当我听到第一声枪响，我内心敲响了钟声，自动地找到了自己的位置，”她说。“现在我的手机一天24小时开机，因为担心可能错过紧急信息或求助电话。”
In addition to buying protective gear for protesters, she coordinatesfinancialsupport and car pools from wealthy friends eager to help but reluctantto do sopublicly. Oftentimes, she finds herself on the street, dispensing hugsorpatiently listening to the worries of young protesters.
除为抗议者购买防护装备外，她还从渴望提供帮助但不愿公开行动的富人朋友那里协调资金和车辆支持。很多时候，她发现自己在街头，给人们拥抱或耐心地倾听年轻抗议者的担忧。
“Every time these kids go to thefront lines, they fear for their lives,” shesaid. “But what they fear more isabandonment, that one day we will all turn ourbacks and leave them alone.”
“每次这些年轻人上前线，他们都为自己的生命感到担忧，”她说。“但他们更害怕的是被抛弃，是有一天我们会转过身去，把他们独自留下。”