The Hong Kong Way

Case ID: CASE-LLE-2025-010

Executive Summary

The Hong Kong Way was a 50-kilometer human chain across Hong Kong on August 23, 2019. It started with one anonymous post on a discussion forum. The post proposed a simple idea: people holding hands to show unity. Other users upvoted the post, copied the idea, added details like maps and timing, and spread it across social media. On the event night, over 200,000 people showed up without any central organizer, leaders, or funding. The human chain got international media attention and showed peaceful protest was possible. This case study explains how one forum post became city-wide action through upvotes, copying and editing ideas, volunteer coordination, and simple instructions anyone could follow.

Key Insight: The Hong Kong Way succeeded because the action was simple enough for anyone to join without training or meetings. One person posted the idea, upvotes showed support, and thousands of volunteers refined the plan by copying and editing it in different posts. No leaders meant no one could be arrested for organizing. No funding meant no money problems. No complex logistics meant anyone could participate by just showing up at their nearest train station.