Hong Kong demo brushes with pro-dictatorship students

Francis Radford, Swansea Socialist Students
Socialist Students protesting against Hillary Clinton's visit to Swansea University, 15.11.19, photo by Swansea Socialist Students

Socialist Students protesting against Hillary Clinton’s visit to Swansea University, 15.11.19, photo by Swansea Socialist Students   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

Former US secretary of state and failed Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton returned to Swansea University on 15 November.

After arriving via a back door, to avoid the embarrassment of the ‘welcome’ she received from our protest in 2017, Clinton’s time was spent on watered-down pleasantries about ‘equality’.

The event was entitled ‘Gutsy Welsh Women’, with a panel also including Lib Dem assembly member Kirsty Williams.

Swansea Socialist Students’ message, however, was undiluted. We protested against Hillary’s visit, her imperialist foreign policy, hostility towards the working class, pro-big business agenda, and recent anti-trans comments.

The protests grabbed students’ attention and our placards and banners were shared on social media throughout the day. Several students joined our protest and are keen to help organise on campus.

Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters at Swansea University, 15.11.19, photo by Swansea Socialist Students

Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters at Swansea University, 15.11.19, photo by Swansea Socialist Students   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

And we were not alone in protesting that day. Pro-democracy protesters from Hong Kong gave out flyers detailing the realities of life under the Chinese Communist Party-backed regime, chanting “free Hong Kong!”

However, this eventually gained the attention of a larger number of wealthy, pro-regime Chinese students.

Pro-Chinese Communist Party demonstration at Swansea University, 15.11.19, photo by Swansea Socialist Students

Pro-Chinese Communist Party demonstration at Swansea University, 15.11.19, photo by Swansea Socialist Students   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

This led to competing chants, verbal battles, and even some physical scuffles instigated by the pro-CCP crowd.