Beijing has excoriated them as a pair of shameless separatists, purveyors of “a lunatic’s dream” who must be punished for pursuing their “fatuous political cause”. Supporters say they are the intrepid figureheads of a flourishing youth movement that is seeking an urgently-needed rupture with China’s authoritarian rulers. At the centre of the rapidly escalating political crisis in Hong Kong are two fashion-conscious millennials who shot to prominence in the aftermath of the 2014 umbrella movement protests.
Sixtus “Baggio” Leung, a 30-year-old pro-independence activist, is a former student union president who is nicknamed after his childhood favourite footballer, the Italian striker Roberto Baggio. Yau Wai-ching, 25, is a Chinese literature graduate and former office clerk with a fondness for the teachings of Chinese philosopher Confucius. Read more
Sixtus “Baggio” Leung, a 30-year-old pro-independence activist, is a former student union president who is nicknamed after his childhood favourite footballer, the Italian striker Roberto Baggio. Yau Wai-ching, 25, is a Chinese literature graduate and former office clerk with a fondness for the teachings of Chinese philosopher Confucius. Read more
