August 7th, 2015, night-time: several trees on Bonham Road were brutally cut off by the Highways Department, without first asking nor even informing residents of the area. We find this absolutely intolerable, and is an insult to the community who lives here: The trees were after all lives that accompanied us throughout the years. How can they be so rash in cutting them down? (The trees are crying.
Sai Ying Pun is crying.) This incident is however not devoid of context. It is rather part of the trend of development in the area in recent years: the gentrification of the area has not been "democractic". The construction of escalators on Centre Street, the intrusion/introduction of the MTR, bars and high-class restaurants replacing the original stores operated by and serving local residents... these have all brought dramatic changes to the district. Yes, they may have brought us convenience and new "classy" or "hip" places, but the bottom line remains that residents who actually live here have had no say at all in these recent developments. What is democracy, if not the possibility to directly participate in the planning and (re-)imagining of our everyday social spaces? What we are against is the extremely violent intrusion and destruction of our very own public spaces, where we live our lives. Onto the leftover roots of the trees that were brutally cut off, let us put up what we want to say to the trees, what we want to tell the people in this community, and how we imagine our community can be. Sai Ying Pun wants its roots back; we want our spaces back!
2015年8月7日晚上,般咸道的幾棵老樹在沒有諮詢和知會這區居民街坊的情況下,在一夜間被路政署全砍掉了。對此,我們是表示極度憤怒和傷心的-他們畢竟是一直陪伴著這個社區的生命,為何可以這樣狠心對待他們?!(樹木在哭泣/西營盤在哭泣。)在我們看來,這事件不是單一的:尤其是近幾年,這個社區在士紳化的潮流下,發展方向和模式一點也不「民主」:正街新建的電梯落成、地鐵通車、林林總總的酒吧和貴價餐廳取代本來的街坊小店等等,都把本來幽靜宜人的小社區完全改變,這些可能為我們帶來了方便,可能為我們帶來了「高級」或「新潮」的生活品味;但說到底,實實在在住在這裡的街坊街里卻從來沒有話語權去參與社區規劃。
民主是什麼?民主就是能夠參與規劃和想像日常生活和社交空間的可能;我們要抗衡的,是現在生活空間任人宰割的慘況。就讓我們一起把想說的,要控訴的,所願望的,都掛在這幾棵樹的餘根上,也希望這個社區能重拾他的根。我們要重奪我們的社區!我們要重奪我們的生活!