Agnes Chow facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Agnes Chow
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周庭
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Chow in 2019
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| Personal details | |||||||||||
| Born |
Chow Ting
3 December 1996 British Hong Kong |
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| Nationality |
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| Political party | Demosisto (2016–2020) | ||||||||||
| Education | Holy Family Canossian College Hong Kong Baptist University University of Toronto |
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| Occupation | Student, Politician | ||||||||||
| Known for | Spokesperson for Scholarism; co-founder of Demosistō |
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| Nicknames | "Mulan of Hong Kong" "Real Mulan" "Goddess of Scholarism" "Goddess of Democracy" "Goddess of Student Movement" |
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| Chinese name | |||||||||||
| Chinese | 周庭 | ||||||||||
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Agnes Chow Ting (Chinese: 周庭; born 3 December 1996) is a young politician and activist from Hong Kong. She used to be a leader in a student group called Scholarism. Later, she helped start a political party named Demosisto.
Agnes Chow is known for speaking up for more democracy in Hong Kong. She has been involved in many protests and movements. Because of her activism, she has faced challenges and even spent time in jail. In 2023, she moved to Canada to continue her studies.
Contents
About Agnes Chow
Agnes Chow grew up in a family that wasn't very interested in politics. But when she was about 15, she saw a Facebook post that inspired her. It showed thousands of young people wanting change. This made her want to get involved in social movements. Her Catholic faith also played a part in her decision to become an activist.
Education and Languages
In 2014, Agnes started studying government and international relations at Hong Kong Baptist University. She later paused her studies to run in an election. She also gave up her British citizenship to meet election rules.
Agnes is very good at languages. She speaks Cantonese, Mandarin, English, and Japanese. She taught herself Japanese by watching anime. Because of her activism, Japanese media sometimes calls her the "Goddess of Democracy."
In 2020, Agnes started her own YouTube channel. She shared videos in Cantonese and Japanese. By the end of 2020, she had over 300,000 followers.
Her Start in Activism
Agnes Chow first became well-known in 2012. She was a spokesperson for a student group called Scholarism. At the time, she was a student at Holy Family Canossian College.
Protesting "Brainwashing" Education
Agnes and other students protested a new school plan. This plan was called the "Moral and National Education scheme." Many people thought it was trying to "brainwash" students. They believed it would make students think only one way.
During these protests, Agnes met other young activists like Joshua Wong and Ivan Lam. Thousands of people joined their demonstrations. They gathered in front of the government building. Their efforts worked, and the government stopped the plan in September 2012.
The Umbrella Revolution
In 2014, Agnes worked with student groups again. They wanted to change how leaders were elected in Hong Kong. She helped lead a student strike against strict election rules. This led to huge protests known as the "Umbrella Revolution."
During these protests, Agnes felt a lot of pressure. She decided to step back from politics for a while. She also resigned from her role at Scholarism.
Founding Demosistō
After the Umbrella Revolution, many young people wanted to get more involved in politics. In April 2016, Agnes Chow helped create a new political party. It was called Demosisto. She started it with Joshua Wong and Nathan Law, who were also student leaders.
Agnes was the first deputy secretary-general of Demosistō. She helped Nathan Law with his campaign for the Legislative Council in 2016. He became the youngest person ever elected there.
In 2017, Agnes was arrested with Law and Wong. This happened during a protest when the Chinese president visited Hong Kong.
Disbanding Demosistō
On June 30, 2020, Agnes, Nathan Law, and Joshua Wong announced something big. They said they had decided to close down Demosistō. This announcement came just hours before a new security law was passed in Hong Kong. Many activists were worried about being arrested under this new law. Agnes also said she would stop her international advocacy work.
Trying to Become a Lawmaker
After Nathan Law lost his seat in the Legislative Council, Agnes Chow decided to run. She wanted to represent Demosistō in the 2018 Hong Kong Island by-election. To be able to run, she gave up her British citizenship.
However, on January 27, 2018, her application was rejected. Officials said she couldn't run because her party supported "self-determination" for Hong Kong. They said this went against Hong Kong's basic laws.
Many experts and former law professors disagreed with this decision. They said there was no clear legal reason to stop her. Hong Kong's leader, Carrie Lam, said that any idea of Hong Kong being independent or having "self-determination" was not allowed.
If Agnes had been elected, she would have been Hong Kong's youngest lawmaker ever. After she was disqualified, Demosistō supported another candidate, Au Nok-hin, who won the election.
Later, in September 2019, Agnes won an appeal. A judge said she didn't have enough chance to explain her views. This meant her ban was overturned. But because of this, Au Nok-hin lost his seat. Agnes called this a "Pyrrhic victory" because it came with a cost.
Arrests and Moving Away
Agnes Chow has faced several arrests because of her activism.
Police Headquarters Protest
On August 30, 2019, Agnes was arrested at her home. This was for a protest that happened two months earlier at the Hong Kong Police Headquarters. Many other well-known pro-democracy figures were also arrested that day. She was released on bail, but her phone was taken by the police. Amnesty International said these arrests were a "shocking attack" on freedom of speech.
Agnes said she was ready for jail. On December 2, 2020, she was sentenced to 10 months in jail. She was sent to a women's prison. On June 12, 2021, Agnes was released from prison after serving almost seven months. Supporters gathered outside to welcome her.
International Reactions
Many countries spoke out about Agnes Chow's sentencing.
- The United States, through Speaker Nancy Pelosi, called it "appalling."
- The United Kingdom's Foreign Minister Dominic Raab urged Hong Kong and Beijing to stop trying to silence opposition.
- Japan's government spokesperson expressed "grave concerns" about the situation.
- Taiwan's government said it showed a failure to protect people's rights.
- Germany's foreign ministry said it was "worrisome."
National Security Law Arrest
On August 10, 2020, Agnes was arrested again. This time, it was under the new national security law. She was accused of working with foreign forces. This arrest happened on the same day as many other pro-democracy figures, including media owner Jimmy Lai.
Agnes's arrest led to a big online campaign around the world asking for her release. She was released on bail the next day. She said her arrest was "political persecution." She also said she didn't understand why she had been arrested.
Moving to Canada
On December 3, 2023, Agnes Chow shared an update on Instagram. It was her first public message since her release from prison in 2021. She announced that she had moved to Canada in September 2023. She went there to study for a master's degree at the University of Toronto.
Agnes explained that the police had given her passport back after she agreed to go on a police-escorted trip to Shenzhen. But she decided not to return to Hong Kong later in December. She chose to stay in Canada for her safety and well-being. Hong Kong officials said she had "deceived" them.
Awards and Recognition
Agnes Chow has received several honors for her work:
- She was named one of the BBC's 100 Women in 2020. This list highlights inspiring and influential women around the world.
- She was on the Financial Times Magazine’s list of the 25 most influential women of 2021.
- Forbes Japan included her on its list of the 50 most influential social media accounts in 2019.
Filmography
- Frontline (2020). Battle For Hong Kong. February 11, 2020. As herself.
Images for kids
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Agnes Chow and Joshua Wong in 2014, wearing red blindfolds to show students were "blinded" by China's power.
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Agnes Chow campaigning with Nathan Law for an election in 2018.
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See also
In Spanish: Agnes Chow para niños
