Demonstrators are detained by riot police. AWW Germany Cockroach Written and directed by Ai Weiwei With his ever-reliable political instincts, renowned Chinese artist Ai Weiwei has released his latest documentary just as Beijing deals its final blows to democracy in Hong Kong. Cockroach is a film about the 2019 demonstrations that brought Hong Kong to a standstill when thousands protested an extradition law that would have given Beijing the ability to try Hong Kongers in China. Protestors won that battle when the Hong Kong legislative council abandoned the law in 2019, but they have been losing the war ever since. This week, China arrested 50 pro-democracy activists, scholars and potential electoral candidates, ensuring there will no longer be free elections for the council that Beijing is fashioning into a puppet. In June, with the world distracted by COVID, China had already imposed its own security law on the territory, effectively tearing up the agreement that ended British control in 1997 but guaranteed administrative independence for Hong Kong for 50 years. Did the 2019 demonstrations hasten the crackdown? It’s a question that arises as you watch the scenes of the surging crowds protesting the extradition law giving way to demonstrations calling…
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Ai Weiwei's Cockroach follows Beijing's final blow to Hong Kong democracy
