How the US Government funded Design Democracy Facebook account was used to support the Occupy Central protests on 28 September 2014

The US Government funded Design Democracy Internet Portal included a website and the use of assorted social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and others to share information and help coordinate actions during Occupy Central.

These are posts from the Design Democracy Hong Kong Facebook account on 28 September 2014, the day after the protesters confronted the police.

It is important to remember, all of these messages and all of this advice was funded by the US Government.

Message to avoid Chater Road

Message:

Please spread: Please do not come to Chater Road in Central. Those affected by tear gas please walk towards Causeway Bay. Charter Road has heavy-loaded police and waterwheels, all with gas masks.

Message of praise from Jennifer Eagleton on a school class boycott

Message:

迦密中學學生罷課現場. Class boycott at Carmel Secondary School, Ho Man Tin. Boycottage de classe, Carmel Secondary School, Ho Man Tin. 中学校のストライキ現場 迦密中學政改關注組

JenniferAnne Eagleton commented: “Good on you kids!”

Contact details for a Police and Security Equipment supplier

Message:

朋友：如果大家想買豬嘴. 如果你唔出去不如你買，送去現場. If you want to buy gas mask, or if you want to buy gas masks for your friends. 網民: 新填地街砵蘭街一帶嘅工業安全用品公司留意下 網民: 也可買3M 1862.

Design Democracy/CCPL/HKU poster with lawyer contact numbers and graphics explaining the need to dispose of scissors, cutters and knives

Message:

請廣傳

義務律師團隊發出訊息指，願意支援被拘捕的人。如果你在被捕後沒有律師去見你的話，請向警方要求打電話，請要求文律師和Mr. Vidler 律師去見你或指派大律師去見你。無需事前發出sms。9722 3750 文律師　(何謝韋律師事務所）9167 7091　 Mr. Vidler（韋智達律師行） 

Please help to spread this message: A volunteer lawyers team indicated that the team is willing to aid those who are being arrested. If you are being arrested without a lawyer to help you, please request the police to allow you to contact Mr. Man or Mr. Vidler. There is no need to send any SMS before that. 9722 3750 Mr. Man (Ho, Tse, Wai & Partners) 9167 7091 Mr. Vidler (Vidler & Co)

Reference

Design Democracy Hong Kong Facebook account on 28 September 2014

American funded Design Democracy project Facebook Administrator giving a political talk to school children at Discovery College on 3 June 2014 in the run-up to Occupy Central

In 2012 and 2014, The National Endowment for Democracy (NED) allocated US Government to the National Democratic Institute (NDI) for the development of an Internet portal and online platforms which were used by their recipients to arrange, coordinate and support the Occupy Central protests.

The funds were allocated for use in the Design Democracy Hong Kong Project and one of the platforms which was used to coordinate and support the Occupy Central protests was the Design Democracy Hong Kong Facebook page.

One of the enduring images of the Occupy Central protests was the ‘spontaneous’ appearance of dozens of school children coming out in support of the protests, but as with many things about Occupy Central, not everything was what it seemed.

Gardenia KWOK

Gardenia KWOK (G.K. on Facebook) was the Design Democracy Hong Kong Facebook Administrator, hired specifically to maintain the Facebook page during the Occupy Central protests.

Gardenia KWOK, Design Democracy Hong Kong Facebook Administrator
for the Occupy Central Protests

Design Democracy School Talk

On 3 June 2014, a photograph of Gardenia KWOK with a ‘red nose’ and the text: 2^nd talk for Design Democracy HK was posted by the Design Democracy Hong Kong港人講普選 Facebook page, accompanied by the following text:

搞掂 Discovery College 個talk. tried so hard to impress kids! 起碼俾咗少少background d international 學生香港發生咩事。

Facebook post by Gardenia KWOK on a school talk at Discovery College on 3 June 2016.
Note the comment by Jennifer Anne Eagleton (circled in red)

Comment

Under Section 84 (1) (m), Regulations of the Education Ordinance, Cap 279, the Chief Executive in Council may make regulations providing for the control of the dissemination of information, or expression of opinion, of a clearly biased political nature in schools. See link to Education Ordinance

Reference 

Facebook. Design Democracy Hong Kong Facebook post. School talk given at Discovery College by Gardenia KWOK on 3 June 2016.

American funded Design Democracy project Law Professor giving a political talk to school children on 22 April 2014 in the run-up to Occupy Central

In 2012 and 2014, The National Endowment for Democracy (NED) allocated US Government to the National Democratic Institute (NDI) for the development of an Internet portal and online platforms which were used by their recipients to arrange, coordinate and support the Occupy Central protests.

The funds were allocated for use in the Design Democracy Hong Kong Project and one of the platforms which was used to coordinate and support the Occupy Central protests was the Design Democracy Hong Kong Facebook page.

One of the enduring images of the Occupy Central protests was the ‘spontaneous’ appearance of dozens of school children coming out in support of the protests, but as with many things about Occupy Central, not everything was what it seemed.

Design Democracy School Talk

The following is a Design Democracy Hong Kong 港人講普選 Facebook post about a school talk given in the run-up to Occupy Central by Professor Simon YOUNG of the HKU Faculty of Law to school children on universal suffrage and constitutional development on 22 April 2014¹:

On 22 April 2014, Professor YOUNG a school talk given to students at the Christian Alliance P.C. Lau Memorial School.  The following text and photographs were posted by the Design Democracy Hong Kong Facebook page:

-          今日同prof young 去左學校講talk吖，介紹香港政制發展，普選問題等。
如果大家知道有咩學校會有興趣叫我地去，記得通知我地吖

-          Today went to give a talk about universal suffrage and constitutional development with prof Young. If you are a teacher or u know any schools that would be interested to have us, please contact us! designdemocracyhk@gmail.com

Design Democracy Hong Kong Facebook Page
opened at the School Talk on 22 April 2014

Christian Alliance PC Law Memorial International School

Professor Simon YOUNG giving a talk 
on universal suffrage and constitutional development

Professor Simon YOUNG giving a talk 
on universal suffrage and constitutional development

Professor Simon YOUNG giving a talk
on universal suffrage and constitutional development

Comment

Under Section 84 (1) (m), Regulations of the Education Ordinance, Cap 279, the Chief Executive in Council may make regulations providing for the control of the dissemination of information, or expression of opinion, of a clearly biased political nature in schools. Link to Education Ordinance.

Reference

¹Facebook. Design Democracy Hong Kong Facebook post. School talk given by Professor YOUNG on 22 April 2014 on universal suffrage and constitutional development. See link: https://www.facebook.com/designdemocracyhk/posts/699246246783792