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Historic Cross-border Rally to Save Cantonese in China
歷史性的粵港跨境撐粵語遊行
August 1, 2010 (Sunday) 2 pm
Southorn Playground, Wanchai to Central Government Office
Hong Kong
 Kevin, a university Student from Guangzhou, was the Focus of Journalists 傳媒追訪廣州來的大學生 (This photo essay on  .
Click for details)Thousands gathered at the People's Park in Guangzhou, the largest city in southern China and marched on to Beijing Road to protest the government's clam-down on the use of Cantonese, the local dialect, in favor of the use of Putonghua (Mandarin), the national language, according to media reports. About 300 people attended a parallel rally in Hong Kong marching from Southorn Playground in Wanchai to the Central Government Offices in Central. A few from Guangzhou joined the local rally. 30 year-old Kevin, a university student from Guangzhou, became the most sought-after target of journalists who came to cover this event from all over the world. He covered his face with a medical mask to avoid facing reprisals back home if he was recognized. The rally in Hong Kong ended peacefully. Based on media reports, in Guangzhou, over a thousand police were deloyed to clear by force the protesters, who were deemed to constitute "an illegal gathering that endangers public security". About 20 people, including 6 journalists from Reuters, Cable TV and NOW TV were detained for over 6 hours. The Reuters reporter was said to have been roughly treated and many protesters were carried away by force. The historic simultaneous protests, co-ordinated through a Facebook group, was the first to bring together Cantonese speakers in Hong Kong and Guangdong in defence of the dialect, which has reportedly been increasingly marginalized in mainland China. "Fu*k his mother, persist against all odds," was one of the battle cries used in the protests on both sides of the border, emulating the rallying cry used by Yuan Chonghuan, a famed patriot and military commander of the Ming Dynasty. The slogan was prominently dislayed with General Yuan's statute in Dongguan, southern Guangdong, until recently. Hong Kong and Guangzhou share the common Cantonese dialect but are politically separated by "one country, two systems" as devised by Deng Xiao Ping when Hong Kong returned to the motherland in 1997. The trigger for the protests was a recent proposal to replace Cantonese prime time TV shows with Mandarin programs on Guangzhou TV ahead of the Asian Games to be held in November. Presumably, visitors from abroad and other provinces would prefer Mandarin to Cantonese. Ji Ke Guang, a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference in Guangdong who made the proposal was denounced as "a sinner of a millennium".  Parallel Protest in Hong Kong 港人同步遊行聲援  Choi Suk Fun Co-ordinates 蔡淑芬協調  "Fu*k His Mom, Persist Against All Odds" Famous Saying by Famed General Yuan Conghuan of Ming Dynasty 明代名將袁崇煥名言「掉哪媽！頂硬上！」  Mak Kit Ling (aka Grandma Golden Circada) Defends 麥潔玲(金蟬婆婆)保衛粵語  The More Use of Cantonese The Better (Play on Cantonese Pun) 粵講粵掂  Long Hair Supports 長毛支持  Foreigner Also Defends Cantonese 外國人也支持廣東話  I Love Cantonese 我愛廣東話  Protest Outside Central Government Offices 在政府總部外抗議 (This photo essay on .
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