Donating to the fight for democracy: The connective activism of overseas Hong Kongers and Taiwanese in the 2019 Anti-extradition Bill Movement

Abstract

The 2019 Anti-extradition Bill Movement in Hong Kong has generated global support on both the narrative side and through material donations. This article compares global support networks organized by Taiwanese and overseas Hong Kongers. Drawing on interview data with 17 Taiwanese and 13 overseas Hong Kongers regarding the reasons, processes and meanings of donation to Hong Kong protesters, we found that even though both groups organized support networks in different ways and have different perceived risks and motivations, they both engage in pro-democracy activism and consider a shared/imagined political future (vis-a-vis China). By examining Hong Konger and Taiwanese support networks, this article applies a concept of connective activism that features a transnational democracy network that is based on shared beliefs, a gradual understanding of each other's experiences, and an imagined political future.