Why Not? – Explaining Youth Non-Participation Among Sympathizers of Hong Kong’s 2019 Protest Movement

Why Not? – Explaining Youth Non-Participation Among Sympathizers of Hong Kong’s 2019 Protest Movement Anna J. Fiedler & Frank Reichert, The University of Hong Kong Abstract Over the last two decades, youth-led protests have increased. Compared to older cohorts, young people face fewer time constraints and familial obligations and are more likely to engage in protest activities. At the same time, youth face more barriers to civic engagement than older cohorts and more commonly participate in informal modes of participation. However, whereas youth mobilization has been widely examined, why some youth participate while others remain on the sidelines has not been adequately explored and remains not well understood. In 2019, opposition to an extradition bill amendment led to unprecedented mass demonstrations, riots, and electoral turnout in Hong Kong. Young people were among the largest and most engaged participant groups during the movement. Yet even though protest action became a part of daily life on campuses during this city-wide crisis, some students who sympathized with the movement did not become active supporters. This paper examines reasons for non-participation using survey and interview data from undergraduate students. In particular, this study analyzes possible causes for the non-conversion of sympathizers into participants and the erosion of protest participants. The analysis also explores differences among students of different origins. The findings show that non-participation was not merely a result of the ineffective mobilization of otherwise highly sympathetic individuals. Instead, perceived (in)effectiveness, identity conflicts, and barriers played an important role in students’ decisions not to participate in protest action. The findings further our understanding of non-participation and are discussed regarding students’ networks and the implications for culturally diverse societies.