This article revisits the 2019 Anti-Extradition Law Amendment Bill Movement in Hong Kong through the lens of trauma. It argues that both the pro-democracy and pro-government camps framed themselves as victims and engaged in dehumanizing and infra-humanizing narratives, intensifying conflict and emotional harm. Although the movement ended with the National Security Law and the COVID-19 outbreak, the trauma remains unresolved. Post-movement policies, especially in education, have often exacerbated rather than healed the divisions. This study calls for government-led reconciliation efforts to move beyond mutual victimhood and foster genuine recovery for Hong Kong society.
