與弗格森、密蘇裡和紐約市黑人社區的團結聲明
從香港，我們向弗格森和紐約市遙寄以最熱熾的敬意！
向不義說不！向白人至上主義說不！
今年8月9日，手無寸鐡的18歲非裔青年邁克•布朗(Mike Brown)，遭白人警察達倫‧威爾遜(Darren Wilson)槍擊身亡。然而大陪審團卻不起訴威爾遜，我們認為裁判荒謬，一如你們所言：「整個該死的系統如同地獄般邪惡！」
而更令人憤怒的，竟是在此之後的埃里克‧加納(Eric Garner)案，警察同樣未被起訴！
當警方可以未經法庭審判便射殺手無寸鐡的百姓；當警察用非法的鎖喉方式被旁觀者以錄像紀錄下來但仍無須受法律制裁，我們還怎能再 相信這個司法系統？
所有的證據以常識就可說明，現存的警察、法院以及政府存在制度性歧視， 這樣不公義的法院和執法機構怎能體現民主？
顯然易見，美國社會並不存在真正的民主管治。
在弗格森，種族歧視和不公的殘酷真相，透過邁克‧布朗的案件揭露出來，激起人民對產生這些問題的制度共同的義憤。 可悲的是，我們知道，邁克只是致命的美國種族主義芸芸受害者之其中一人。
我們都知道，美國的黑人和貧窮人面對對國家暴力，警察槍擊事件僅是其中的方式之一，暴力並 以其他方式呈現： 失業、種族主義福利法、不成比例的治安巡查、房屋隔離，以及健康狀況的差距。
我們認識到，警方並未為百姓的安全負責。 相反，他們不僅排斥異議、限制言論自由，更調動軍事彈藥到弗格森的大街上，似乎美國政府和警隊要在你的國家和你們身上，實行他們在伊拉克和阿富汗所用的軍事暴力了。
如今，種族歧視正被用來合理化經濟上的不平等和排外政策 。弗格森 的人民、和國際社會上對那些關心美國司法和 種族平等的人民， 我們希望你 繼續努力不懈，為正義而戰！
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在香港，政府政策向富裕的少數人傾斜，並以警權為工具，限制我們揭露不義和失信人民的呼聲，我們深感厭惡。
我們從未享有 真正的民主，不論是在英國殖民統治期間，或在中國政府在香港推行所謂「高度自治」的「一國兩制」的當下。 我們只有一個由富人階級所主導的小圈子議會，而我們的行政長官，在最近一次選舉中，僅以689票即可當選。
由於不民主制度向富人傾斜，香港的貧窮率持續上升，我們已越來越負擔不起房屋，長者貧窮更高達百份之四十。 政府投入數十億元於發展項目，拒絕向富裕階層增加稅收，卻高聲叫嚷，說缺乏資金，為一個體面的全民老年退休金供款。 簡言之，人民被排除社會財富之外，而我們所見的社會「秩序」和「和諧」表象底下，卻潛藏著由政府所「領導」的人民廣泛的痛苦和屈辱！
香港政府曾承諾，讓香港人普選選自己的行政長官，卻一次又一次地拒絕履行承諾，盡管數以十萬計的人民不斷如此要求。
學生、以及支持學生的廣大巿民，因此佔領香港主要街道，只為要求政府遵守諾言。
但我們現在香港看到的，是當人民大聲疾呼、反對不公義並抗議政府違背對民主的承諾，將導致我們面對警察施放的胡椒噴霧、水炮、和警棍！無論我們的身分是學生、醫生或記者，在政府無條件的支持下，警方都已 失去自制，正準備向其人民施以最高度的武力，以恢復一個不公的秩序。
一如在弗格森，我們面對的警隊被賦予的基本任務，就是以「維護法紀」之名打壓異議。 政府和警察已拒絕真正的對話，推卻其聽取民意的義務，並以武器、威脅和甚至利用代理組織去騷擾、侮辱或令抗議的公民噤聲。
一如在弗格森和紐約市，法律、法院和立法程序聲稱致力保護無辜人民免受傷害。然而，事實是我們知道這些機構以「法律」之名壓制、監禁和暴打我們。
我們都知道，「法律」和正義 並不是 同一回事。 我們可能並不身處同一戰場，但我們面對的處境是共通的：政府和警察宣稱有權管治我們，並濫用其權威和合法使用武力，以壓制我們的聲音和我們的正義要求。
是時候停止不公義了！ 夠了！ 警察並不是我們的統治者！ 停止軍事化！拒絕社會排斥！
弗格森 和紐約市，我們團結一心！尊重黑人人權！
來自香港向弗格森和紐約市的致意：拒絕國家暴力！
Hong Kong…. Ferguson and New York City!
Solidarity Statement with Black Communities in Ferguson, Missouri and NYC
From Hong Kong to Ferguson and NYC, we send you our warmest solidarity!
No to injustice! No to white supremacy!
It was outrageous that the grand jury failed to indict Darren Wilson, who had shot unarmed 18-year old Mike Brown. We agree with you that: "The whole damn system is guilty as hell."
It was even more outrageous, that after that, Eric Garner’s case also failed to be indicted!
How can anyone trust the justice system, when the police can shoot you dead while unarmed, before you even reach a court? And when a man is killed by a policeman using an illegal chokehold, recorded on video but the policeman is still not even indicted?
All the common sense evidence points to systematic bias, within the police, within the courts and within government. How can democracy exist when these state institutions of courts and law enforcement are ridden with injustice? It is clear to us that genuine democratic governance does not exist in American society.
In Ferguson, the jarring truth of racism and injustice explode with the case of Michael Brown, generating collective outrage against this system that produces these problems. We all know he is sadly, only one of many casualties of racist America.
We are aware that Black and poor communities in America face state violence, not only in the form of police shootings. It manifests in other aspects of your lives: unemployment, racist welfare laws, disproportionate policing, housing segregation, and health disparities.
We recognize that the police are not taking responsibility for your safety. Instead, not only do they squash dissent and free expression, they are sending in military ammunition into the streets of Ferguson. It seems that the US government and the police forces in your country are willing to use aspects of the military violence they have imposed on the people of Iraq and Afghanistan, on to you.
To the community of Ferguson and to those who care about justice and racial equality in the US, we hope you keep going – keep fighting for what is right! Racial inequality is being used to justify and enable economic inequality and exclusion!
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Here in Hong Kong too, we are fed up with our government doing things on behalf of the wealthy few, and willing to use the police to keep us from speaking out about injustice and broken promises.
We have not had a genuine democracy, under British colonial rule nor now, under our “high degree of autonomy” within “one country, two systems” under the Chinese government. We have a small legislature dominated by the wealthy, and our Chief Executive was elected by only 689 votes in the last election.
Under our undemocratic system slanted towards the wealthy, our poverty rate has been climbing, our housing has gotten less affordable, and 40% of our elderly are in poverty. The government has poured billions of dollars into development projects, refused to increased taxes on the wealthy, and still cries out that it lacks money to provide a decent universal elderly pension. In short, citizens are being excluded from the community’s wealth, and the ‘order’ and ‘harmony’ we see in the society is only the smooth surface hiding massive suffering and humiliation – of our own people, led by our own government!
All along, the Hong Kong government promised a system of universal suffrage and election of our own Chief Executive, but it has denied it over and over, despite the demands of hundreds of thousands of citizens.
The students, supported by wide masses of the public, have come out to occupy major parts of Hong Kong, simply to demand the government keep its word.
But in Hong Kong, as we see now, speaking out against injustice and government betrayal of its promise of democracy can lead you to face pepper spray, water cannons, and batons – from our own police! It doesn’t matter if we are students or doctors or journalists – the police have lost their control, boosted by the unconditional support of the government, willing to use maximum force on its own citizens to restore an unjust order.
Just like in Ferguson, we face a police force that has been given the task of basically punishing dissent – while claiming to uphold law. This government and police force have rejected genuine dialogue, denied its obligation to heed the voices of its citizens, and used weapons, threats and even proxy organizations to harass, stigmatize or silence the protesting citizens.
Here, as in Ferguson and NYC, the laws, courts and legislative procedures claim to protect the innocent from abusers. The truth is we know that these institutions have been used to silence, jail and physically crush us, all in the name of the "law."
We know though, that the "law" and justice are not the same thing. We may not have the same struggles, but we share a common situation of government and police falsely claiming authority over us, and abusing their position of authority and of legitimized use of force, to repress our voices and our just demands.
No more injustice! Enough is enough! Police are not our rulers! No to militarization! No to social exclusion!
Solidarity to Ferguson and to NYC! Black lives matter!
From Hong Kong to Ferguson and NYC, resist state violence!