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Man bikes across the US to support Hong Kong protests against China
A man from China is biking across the U.S. to raise awareness and support for Hong Kong, as protesters in the country fight for autonomy from China. He made it to his stop in Minneapolis on Saturday, but not without some hurdles along the way.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A man is biking across the U.S. to raise awareness and support for Hong Kong, as protesters in the country fight for autonomy from China.
Alex Lee grew up in a small town near Beijing where he saw things that have fueled a lifelong desire to bring change for his people. On Saturday, the 37-year-old passed through Minneapolis.
"People should have the respect [to] live as a human being, not as slaves," Lee said. "There are quite a lot of people that live in China as slaves. The communist party gave them censorship."
Alex Lee started his biking mission in Los Angeles last July. He's planning to finish in Boston by April. (Alex Lee)
Currently, Lee is halfway through his mission to raise awareness about the situation, in a push for freedom, democracy and improved human rights in Hong Kong.
"I passed California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, then Wyoming," Lee said.
Along the way he’s giving speeches in communities and doing interviews with local journalists to spread the word. He left Los Angeles in July 2021 and plans to end up in Boston. But while passing through North Dakota on Sept. 20, 2021, those plans were suddenly in jeopardy.
"A drunk driver hit me from behind," Lee said. "When I woke up in ice in Grand Forks, I didn’t even know what happened. A nurse told me."
The crash left Lee sidelined for months, and he only just got back on the road last week.
"The right side of my back still feels painful," Lee explained.
During his stop in Minneapolis, Alex Lee spoke with FOX 9 about his journey biking across the U.S. to raise awareness and support for Hong Kong protesters. (FOX 9)
This weekend, he made it to Minneapolis.
I passed Crookston, Bemidji, Brainerd, Little Falls [and] Saint Cloud," Lee said.
Next, he’ll continue to Green Bay. Injuries from the crash are slowing him down, but he still hopes to complete his mission by April.
"We are much stronger than what we think," Lee finished.