Explainer | How do Hong Kong’s student protests compare with those worldwide?
- While such action in the city only intensified in recent years, similar movements in other parts of the world date back centuries
- As local anti-government campaign rages, calls have been put up again for class boycotts next month
Since the start of the school term in Hong Kong earlier this month, students from secondary schools and universities have formed so-called human chains, linking hands in a show of support for the anti-government movement gripping the city for months.
While student activism has mostly gained traction in Hong Kong in recent years, such campaigns date back centuries worldwide.
Widely regarded as one of the oldest universities in the world, students of the University of Bologna in 1217 left the historic Italian city for surrounding regions to protest against unfair economic practices. Some returned three years later after authorities made concessions such as tax reform.
Besides institutional and educational causes, young people have taken to the streets across the world over political, economic and environmental matters.
At the centre of all movements is the desire of youth to have their voices heard, especially given they see themselves as the future of their societies.
