Last weekend’s “612” rallies around the world signalled the start of an important era for Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement abroad and in Australia the new wave of protests came at a crucial time in China relations.

The 612 protest at Sydney Town Hall – alongside others in large Australian cities and eight days after a June 4 vigil outside the Chinese Consulate in Sydney – was one of the largest of the many held that day.

The restrictions brought about by COVID-19 has put a pause on most public gatherings in the past 18-months but the strong turnout of more than 500 people – boosted by the attendance of former politician Ted Hui – was a sign that Hong Kong groups abroad could have an impact on government foreign policy.

The second anniversary of the mass public gathering to prevent the passing of the anti-extradition bill in Admiralty and the resulting mass police brutality was marked by public protests in 17 countries.

“It is important that there are a large number of Hongkongers and Chinese here in Australia, and in the last two years they have been struggling, but now they have an extra role,” said Hui, who is living in self-imposed exile in the South Australian capital of Adelaide. “Because of the National Security Law (NSL), the Hong Kong people cannot speak, so we are now the ones responsible to speak up. But a lot of them might not know how, some are waiting for others to work with them, and that is why I feel needed, I feel I need to stand in the crowd and stand with them.”

The next three to four months include anniversaries represented by numbers burnt into the collective psyche of Hong Kong. Like 612, the dates 721, 831 and 101 bring a visceral recall for Hongkongers. As was the case with June 4, and for possible gatherings on June 12, the Hong Kong Police Force and Hong Kong government are determined to deny the chance to grieve, erase the collective memory and let the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) rewrite history as it does on the mainland.

Not only do Hong Kong protest groups abroad have an opportunity to provide a new spark of hope for the movement, but Australian Hongkongers can also speak on the topic of China and the CCP with a credibility and clarity that cuts through with truth to the media and politicians.

“Because Hongkongers experienced the 2019 movement they witnessed it first hand from Hong Kong they can explain what these dates mean to us,” Hui said. “They also know how things like the United Front works and how influence can be applied here.”

“They might have a better, clearer perspective on how a very large economic superpower can influence Australia and what aspect in different walks of life,” added Hui, alluding to the economic coercion attempted by the CCP on Australia in the past year.

A theme from the worldwide 612 events was the presence of more progressive political voices. Previous overseas rallies have been co-opted by those with far right agendas and while a more measured discourse might not grab as many headlines, the hope is that it creates concrete measures and political change.

In London, Labour MP Steven Kinnock spoke of the Hong Kong government’s flagrant disregard for Basic Law and the Sino-British Agreement and claimed that “our government has not done enough,” while in Sydney Labour senator Tony Sheldon told the crowd that “Democracy needs to thrive in Hong Kong … and it is incredibly important for everybody in this country to stand up for democracy and freedom.”

Unfortunately, neither Kinnock nor Sheldon speaks for a party that holds power in their country, but it is also clear that two years of right-wing rhetoric in Britain and Australia has resulted in little direct action against the Hong Kong government or CCP for their human rights abuses and failure to uphold the “one country, two systems” policy.

The members of NSW Hongkongers, the organizers of the Sydney event, are made up of a mixture of those who have resided in Australia for years and those who left Hong Kong during and after the 2019 protests.

One of the group’s next major campaigns will be to encourage Hongkongers living in Australia to record themselves as Hongkongers in the country’s census in August.

The next six months – with its key anniversaries – will be critical for those hoping to maintain the momentum of gatherings like last weekend’s.

Australia’s “China problem” is not going away, but judging by the strong attendance at recent events and the creativity of groups like NSW Hongkongers, neither are Australia’s Hong Kong protesters.

(Michael Cox is a journalist and Hong Kong permanent resident currently based in Australia. He has previously written for the South China Morning Post, The Age (Melbourne) and Australian Associated Press.)

Michael Cox’s article can be found in our Columnist section.

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