Chris McGrath, a photojournalist based in Tokyo, focused on telling the story of protesters in Hong Kong by shooting a series of the protesters asleep in the street, something he thinks is far more telling than his initial idea of a portrait series. The conflict in Hong Kong, known as the “Umbrella Protest” has arisen in 2019 due to the drive of many to push for greater democracy and more independence from China. Right now, the People’s Republic of China, the ruling government of China and Hong Kong, is known to be extremely authoritarian and often the source of many human rights violations. The protestors of Hong Kong want to be free of this influence in their elections, so they work day and night to fight for it to become a reality. This photo-series shot by McGrath tells the story so well because it shows the lengths to what these Umbrella protestors will go to fight for their rights, sleeping in the streets to ensure that protests continue. Normally, the exciting moments of protests, like clashes between protesters and police, are what reporters focus on in their shots, but by focusing on the behind the scenes McGrath captures a different aspect of the struggle, humanizing the protestors.
Link: https://www.wired.com/2014/10/chris-mcgrath-hong-kong-protests/