Appearing Demos

Laikwan Pang

"Studying Hong Kong's Umbrella Movement, which might be the largest Occupy movements in recent years, this books urges us to re-commit in democracy at a time when democracy is failing on many fronts in different parts of the world. The 79-day long Hong Kong Umbrella Movement occupied major streets of the busiest parts of the city, creating tremendous inconvenience to this city famous for capitalist order and efficiency. It is also a peaceful collective effort of appearance, and it is as much as a political event as a cultural event. The urge for expressing an independent cultural identity underlined both the Occupy and the remarkably rich cultural expressions generated. Understanding the specificity of Hong Kong's situations, the book also comments on some global predicaments we are facing in the midst of neoliberalism and populism. It directs our attentions from state-based...