People sit in a tram as they look at a stall of incoming district councillors Karrine Fu and Jason Chan where they invite locals to write Christmas cards for detained protesters outside of Fortress Hill station near North Point, Hong Kong, China, December 14, 2019. "I think I have a different definition of community service, about educating people about democracy. My competitor was automatically elected for 12 years, it was a big change, especially for the elders", said Fu, who won her Fort Street constituency in North Point by just 59 votes. REUTERS/Thomas Peter
Retired sailor Michael Sham, 73, pours tea in his one-room apartment in the Model Housing Estate in the North Point neighbourhood in Hong Kong, China, December 11, 2019. "Many people at my age do not support the (protest) movement, but I do because I am a Hongkonger and I like human rights and democracy, which is something the Beijing government doesn't have," Sham said, adding that he voted for the incoming pro-democracy district councillor James Pui. REUTERS/Thomas Peter
A monk shops in the Chun Yeung Street wet market in the North Point neighbourhood in Hong Kong, China, December 9, 2019. REUTERS/Thomas Peter
A man walks in front of a temple he has built without permission from the local council in North Point, Hong Kong, China, December 10, 2019. REUTERS/Thomas Peter
Fish seller Lai Ji serves a customer at his stall in a fish market in North Point, Hong Kong, China, December 11, 2019. "The outside has changed but everything inside is still the same, even the position of our stalls, the same for 80 years", Ji said. Asked about the protests he said: "We built everything just so they [the protesters] could destroy it all. Here in Hong Kong the elderly have a place to live, food to eat and medical care. Hong Kong is very free." REUTERS/Thomas Peter
A woman has her hair done at the Great Chinese Barbershop, which has not changed in more than half a century according to one of its co-owners, in North Point, Hong Kong, China, December 13, 2019. REUTERS/Thomas Peter
A man crosses a road in North Point, Hong Kong, China, December 13, 2019. REUTERS/Thomas Peter
Men play cards at a fish market in North Point, Hong Kong, China, December 10, 2019. REUTERS/Thomas Peter
Tailors Tsang Siu Man, 78, and his brother Tsang Sik Lang, 63, work in their store underneath the State Theatre Building that is slated for demolition in the North Point neighbourhood in Hong Kong, China, December 9, 2019. Born and raised in North Point, the Tsang brothers opened their store selling handmade suits in the state theatre building in 1993. "Back in the day, North Point was full of gambling dens and dance halls and at the theatre upstairs, a ticket for the movie cost 50 cents," the older Tsang said. "We barely make enough to cover the rent, even though the rent is cheap, business is slow." he said. "Over time there were more and more people from the mainland and also foreigners. Sometimes they come here to get their suits made," he said. REUTERS/Thomas Peter
Locals line up to write Christmas cards to protesters in detention and get free calendars and chocolate that are Christmas gifts from incoming district councillors Tat Cheng (3rd L) and Lee Yue-Shun (2nd R) in North Point, Hong Kong, China, December 14, 2019. "What dramatically changed the environment here comes out of the social movement, starting from June. I think this social movement makes many people in North Point awake," said Cheng, district councillor in the Tanner constituency. "So we have an alliance, to close the bottleneck... The community is not separated by different constituencies so we have to do the work together," said Yue-Shun, who won the the Kam Ping constituency, when talking about the alliance of the newly elected pan-democratic district councillors in the North Point and Fortress Hill area. REUTERS/Thomas Peter
Newly elected district councillors Lee Yue-Shun (R) talks with a local who built a temple without permission from the local council in North Point, Hong Kong, China, December 13, 2019. "I think there is also specific challenges in each district. For me it is really hard to really get along with the Fujian community because they have a very different historical and cultural background and I take a really long time to build a network and rapport in that community. I think that is the greatest challenge for me," said Yue-Shun. REUTERS/Thomas Peter
Lit-up buildings stand within the North Point and Fortress Hill district in Hong Kong, China, December 16, 2019. REUTERS/Thomas Peter
Incoming district councillors Karrine Fu and Jason Chan invite locals to write Christmas cards to protesters in detention outside Fortress Hill station near North Point, Hong Kong, China, December 14, 2019. "I think I have a different definition of community service, about educating people about democracy. My competitor was automatically elected for 12 years, it was a big change, especially for the elders", said Fu, who won her Fort Street constituency in North Point by just 59 votes. Jason Chan, who won the neighbouring Fortress Hill constituency said: "We are safeguarding our autonomy. In 1997 we were guaranteed our autonomy to run our own place, special administered region. But this is always confused with the independence movement… This election is not a referendum for independence but a protest vote to work against the government." REUTERS/Thomas Peter
A man smokes a cigarette in an alley near the Chun Yeung Street wet market in the North Point neighbourhood in Hong Kong, China, December 7, 2019. REUTERS/Thomas Peter
A man fishes at the pier in North Point, Hong Kong, China, December 7, 2019. REUTERS/Thomas Peter
Newly elected district councillors Lee Yue-Shun, Tat Cheng, Karrine Fu, Jason Chan, James Pui and Jocelyn Chau (L-R) pose for a photo at the water front in front of the Eastern District Council building in Hong Kong, China, December 17, 2019. REUTERS/Thomas Peter
Pastor David Lau poses for a photo in a church that holds services in the Minnan language that is common in Fujian, in North Point, Hong Kong, China, December 10, 2019. "I can feel the tension between different groups," said Lau. "I think for some people they don't believe the government is wrong so I am challenging them to think differently." But he said he has toned down his language since July and now focuses his sermons on asking his community to "love people that you may not like." REUTERS/Thomas Peter
Local sign-maker Au Yueng Cheong, 63, poses for a picture in his stall underneath the State Theatre Building that is slated for demolition in the North Point neighbourhood in Hong Kong, China, December 9, 2019. Au is one of the few remaining tenants under the State Theatre Building. "It's not possible to go back to what it was," he says of the building's heydays, "They [the developers] have bought it all." he says. REUTERS/Thomas Peter
Incoming district councillor Karrine Fu, who won her Fort Street constituency in North Point by just 59 votes, sits in a cafe in North Point, Hong Kong, China, December 14, 2019. "I think I have a different definition of community service, about educating people about democracy. My competitor was automatically elected for 12 years, it was a big change, especially for the elders", said Fu. REUTERS/Thomas Peter
District councillor Tat Cheng (R) in the Tanner constituency, walks in his constituency in North Point in Hong Kong, China, December 13, 2019. "What dramatically changed the environment here comes out of the social movement, starting from June. I think this social movement makes many people in North Point awake," said Cheng. REUTERS/Thomas Peter
Men play snooker in the State Theatre Building that used to be a cinema and is slated for demolition in North Point, Hong Kong, China, December 10, 2019. One Mexican national and regular patron who has lived in North Point for years described it as "old-school'. "You know the Hong Kong of the movies, that's what North Point looks like," he said. REUTERS/Thomas Peter
People cross the road outside the State Theatre Building that is slated for demolition in the North Point neighbourhood in Hong Kong, China, December 11, 2019. REUTERS/Thomas Peter
A man pushes a cart in the North Point neighbourhood in Hong Kong, China, December 7, 2019. REUTERS/Thomas Peter
District councillor Tat Cheng in the Tanner constituency, poses for a picture in an old elevator that is locally well-known for its reliability in North Point, Hong Kong, China, December 13, 2019. "What dramatically changed the environment here comes out of the social movement, starting from June. I think this social movement makes many people in North Point awake," said Cheng. REUTERS/Thomas Peter
Young democrats shake up Hong Kong politics