Chan, a public hospital doctor, did not spend his last summer in Hong Kong lounging at the beach. Instead, he was running through the city’s tear gas filled-streets, dodging rubber bullets and treating injured protesters and civilians on the frontlines of Hong Kong’s anti-government protests.

One year later, despite feeling helpless as protesters’ demands for freedom and justice have continued to fall on deaf ears, Chan (not his real name) is still determined to stay on the frontlines.

“I hope that people don’t become numb and will remember why they started in the first place,” Chan said. “Especially as protesters are facing violence, an escalating abuse of power and a toppling judicial system, they need to ... stick to their beliefs.”

Triggered by a proposed law that would remove existing safeguards in the extradition of criminal suspects to the mainland, Hong Kong has been rocked by a year of protests that have seen clashes between police and protesters turn ugly. The government has shelved the proposal, but the protests have since evolved into an anti-government movement and a call for greater democracy and investigation into police brutality.

Police said they had arrested 8,986 people between June 9 last year and 31 May for offences ranging from rioting to wounding.

Chan no longer remembers how many times he’s been out on the frontlines to offer medical help. Even if he pulls an all-nighter on duty, he still goes out the next day, lugging his backpack of medical supplies as he runs through the streets.

“As a public hospital doctor, we have a sense of duty towards protecting people’s lives,” he said. “Especially when you see so many people hurt and bleeding on television, you would think of all the things you would have been able to do if you were there.”

Chan recalls one time when police had suddenly put a stop to a permitted rally, demanding protesters disperse within an hour. As civilians and elderly, some just wearing normal surgical masks, were trying to leave, riot police had started deploying tear gas and chasing protesters.

“The tear gas just kept coming … there were so many people that could not escape,” he said.

That day he used three to four asthma inhalers to help more than a dozen people. Being on the frontlines, Chan is no stranger to getting hurt. One time, he narrowly dodged a rubber pellet that had hit his eye mask instead of his face.

Like many other Hong Kongers, Chan says he feels a sense of helplessness and powerlessness to bring change to the city he calls home.

“Every time I read the news I get angrier. But the biggest problem is no matter what we do, there seems to be no powerful means to put a stop to all this,” he said.

While Chan feels that his efforts may not count as much in the bigger scheme of things, he says that as long as the police continue their abuse of power, there will be people that will get injured and that his job is not yet done.

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