"The ballot is stronger than the bullet," read some graffiti on a wall in Hong Kong on Sunday as the city went to the polls for district council elections. These were the first electoral test of public opinion since the crisis of the past six months unfolded. And just as Hong Kong seemed on the brink of an abyss or a collapse, a bright light has burst through.
After weeks of darkness, with horrific scenes of police brutality and disturbing images of young people throwing Molotov cocktails and bricks, firing makeshift arrows and home-made catapults, and barricading themselves in universities with no food, water, or sanitation, Hong Kong has a moment of hope. Now is a carpe diem moment — this brief interlude of clarity must not be squandered.
From the results of the Sunday district council elections, turnout was more than 71 percent, compared with 47 percent in the same elections four years ago. Over 2.9 million people voted, more than a quarter of the entire population.