There's reportedly a small cohort of Chinese mainlanders who have joined the Hong Kong protests

Hong Kong protesters on August 28, 2019.
(Image credit: Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

While many citizens of mainland China living in Hong Kong don't support the city's anti-government, pro-democracy protests, there is indeed a small cohort who have joined the demonstrations, The Wall Street Journal reports.

The decision to do so is far from without risks. Chinese authorities, for example, check travelers' smartphones as they cross the border between Hong Kong and Shenzhen, looking for evidence of participation at the rallies. But it's not only the government that is trying to ensure mainlanders don't get involved.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us
Tim O'Donnell

Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.