This Is Not Restoration: Notes on a Protest Slogan

Abstract

Extending the author’s commentary on the “Restore Hong Kong” slogan written in 2019, this article provides an elaborated and critical review of this slogan and related ideological dynamics. Two common interpretations of this slogan are discussed. The first interpretation expresses a desire to return to the romanticized past under British colonialism. The second interpretation is a right-wing localist framework that views the Chinese as new colonizers, often used as an excuse for xenophobia. Given the ideological retreat of the local left, this slogan and its implications were widely accepted without competing alternatives, contributing to the right-wing tendency of the movement community, represented by the spread of Trumpism. This tendency reflects a larger challenge to the global left: the convergence of anti-China sentiments and right-wing values.