honorable mention
Aidan Marzo china
title
Siege of PolyU
Police used over 1,500 rounds of tear gas, 1,300 rubber bullet rounds and 300 bean bag rounds on the first day of the siege. The next day hospitals overflowed with the thousands of injured protesters from the battle.
Sparked by a now-scrapped extradition bill, the Hong Kong people have protested for their promised autonomy that was guaranteed to them during the 1997 handover. Since mid-2019, millions of Hongkongers have marched in support of democratic ideals and universal suffrage. In more recent months, peaceful marches have turned violent, leading to thousands of protesters arrested and many more injured. Hong Kong’s unique designation as a Special Administrative Region, a label that’s provided broader freedoms to the Hong Kong people compared to the mainland, is set to expire in 2047. While the future beyond 2047 in unclear, the Hong Kong protesters are determined to make their voices heard and have a say as to the future of their home.
Upon graduating cum laude in May 2019, Aidan returned to Hong Kong to cover the anti-extradition bill protests. His images have been published in various international news platforms such as The Guardian, The Wall Street Journal, Fox News, CNBC and CNN. Aidan received several photography awards at the 2019 Tokyo International Photo Awards for his photojournalism work.
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entry description
The Siege of PolyU was a 12 day standoff between pro-democracy protesters and the Hong Kong Police at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Protesters occupied the campus and blocked nearby highways as they battled with police, turning the campus into a war zone. Police eventually surrounded the campus for over a week, forcing protesters to flee or surrender themselves.Police used over 1,500 rounds of tear gas, 1,300 rubber bullet rounds and 300 bean bag rounds on the first day of the siege. The next day hospitals overflowed with the thousands of injured protesters from the battle.
Sparked by a now-scrapped extradition bill, the Hong Kong people have protested for their promised autonomy that was guaranteed to them during the 1997 handover. Since mid-2019, millions of Hongkongers have marched in support of democratic ideals and universal suffrage. In more recent months, peaceful marches have turned violent, leading to thousands of protesters arrested and many more injured. Hong Kong’s unique designation as a Special Administrative Region, a label that’s provided broader freedoms to the Hong Kong people compared to the mainland, is set to expire in 2047. While the future beyond 2047 in unclear, the Hong Kong protesters are determined to make their voices heard and have a say as to the future of their home.
about the photographer
Aidan Marzo (b. 1996) is a half-Chinese, half-American photojournalist born and raised in Hong Kong. During his time at university he experimented with various kinds of photography, including fashion, portraiture and sports photography. In the Fall of 2018, he created Night Job, a photographic journey into the lives of people working the night shift in Washington DC.Upon graduating cum laude in May 2019, Aidan returned to Hong Kong to cover the anti-extradition bill protests. His images have been published in various international news platforms such as The Guardian, The Wall Street Journal, Fox News, CNBC and CNN. Aidan received several photography awards at the 2019 Tokyo International Photo Awards for his photojournalism work.
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