Two volunteer lawyers have pledged to continue fighting on behalf of Hong Kong protesters during what has become a year-long pro-democracy movement that has swept across the entire city.

Speaking to Apple Daily, two volunteer lawyers who identified themselves as Faith and Reily said they were committed to their cause despite it becoming increasingly difficult to protect human rights and freedoms in the face of an obstinate and unjust government.

“Young people are not protesting for the sake of protesting. If the government was willing to listen in the first place, the protesters would not have escalated their actions,” said Faith, pointing to incidents such as the “721” Yuen Long attacks on July 21, 2019 and the “831” Prince Edward station attack, where the government turned a blind eye to unprecedented acts of violence – from both mobsters and riot police – against unarmed civilians and protestors on August 31 last year.

Faith said she was inspired by the Umbrella Movement, a 2014 pro-democracy movement that called for universal suffrage in Hong Kong. The movement occurred while she was still studying law, and while it solidified her determination to pursue a career in law, the recent protests against the now-withdrawn extradition bill sparked her passion for fighting for human rights causes. Since last July, she has handled more than 40 cases related to the protests.

Similarly, Reily, who was also a law student during the Umbrella Movement, has focused almost entirely on demonstration-related cases since starting her legal career last year.

She’s become no stranger to rushing to police stations in the middle of the night to accompany arrested protestors as they make their statements. She says she is especially vigilant with young demonstrators, who are more susceptible to being pressured by the police to make a confession.

She says that the police have made it deliberately difficult for lawyers to protect protesters. Not only does she usually have to wait three to four hours to see her clients, she has also been on the receiving end of intimidating comments from officers.

Despite the hardships, both Faith and Reily reiterated their commitment to supporting protestors and their fight against injustices and mounting oppressions.

“It is important to use my position to defend [the protesters’] rights. This is not about making money,” said Reily.

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