Video: Hong Kong protesters belt out 'Do You Hear The People Sing?' from 'Les Miserables' during airport takeover
- Protesters in Hong Kong have adopted a popular protest anthem in recent days as they enter into their 10th week of anti-government demonstrations.
- Video posted on social media by pro-democracy leader Joshua Wong showed protesters gathered in the arrival hall at the airport, singing one of the most recognizable songs from the musical "Les Misérables," set before and during the Paris Uprising of 1832.
- The song is titled "Do You Hear The People Sing?" is a call for civilian uprising.
- The song was also popular with protesters during the 2014 Umbrella pro-democracy protests, which called for fair and free elections in the city.
- China has not taken kindly to the widespread use of the protest anthem, according to The Economist, and banned the song from its most popular music streaming service QQ Music.
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Protesters in Hong Kong have adopted a popular protest anthem in recent days as they enter into their 10th week of anti-government demonstrations.
What initially started as a protest against a proposed bill that would allow for the extradition of Hong Kong residents to mainland China for trial has ballooned into fight to uphold democracy in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory.
Scores of protesters have been occupying Hong Kong International Airport, one of the world's busiest transit hubs in the world, where they've disrupted flights and crippled operations for over five days. Airport protests have taken particular aim at allegations of police brutality against protesters.
Video posted on social media by pro-democracy leader Joshua Wong showed protesters gathered in the arrival hall at the airport, singing one of the most recognizable songs from the Broadway musical "Les Misérables" based on the eponymous novel by Victor Hugo, which is set before and during the Paris Uprising of 1832. The song, titled "Do You Hear The People Sing?" is a call for revolution.
The song was also popular with protesters during the 2014 Umbrella Movement, which called for fair and free elections in the city. One activist even wrote a version of the song in Cantonese which featured lyrics referencing the unrest in Hong Kong.
China has not taken kindly to the widespread use of the protest anthem, according to The Economist, and banned the song from its most popular music streaming service QQ Music.
Protesters continued to occupy the airport on Tuesday, despite statements from Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam warning protesters against pushing the city "further into the abyss."
"Hong Kong is seriously wounded," she said at a press conference on Tuesday morning. "It will take a long time to recover."