CITY ON FIRE

Through the long, hot summer of 2019, Hong Kong burned. Anti-government protests, sparked by a government proposal to introduce a controversial extradition law, grew into a pro-democracy movement that engulfed the city for months. Protesters fought street battles with police, and the unrest brought the People's Liberation Army to the very doorstep of Hong Kong. Driven primarily by students and youth protesters with their ‘Be Water!' philosophy, borrowed from hometown hero Bruce Lee, this leaderless, technology-driven protest movement defied a global superpower and changed Hong Kong, perhaps forever. But it also changed China, and challenged China's global standing.

In City on Fire, Antony Dapiran provides the first detailed account of the protests, reveals the protesters' unique tactics, explains how the movement fits into the city's long history of dissent, and looks at what the protests will mean for the future of Hong Kong, China, and China's place in the world.

Australian author and lawyer Antony Dapiran is a long-time resident of Hong Kong and one of the world's leading observers of Hong Kong politics. He has written about the protests for The Atlantic, The Guardian, and New Statesman, has been interviewed on the subject by the CNN, CNBC, and the BBC, and his expert views have been quoted by leading media outlets including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and the Financial Times.