Edward-Leung-TIME-100-Next
Anthony Wallace—AFP/Getty Images

Edward Leung

Few have seen Edward Leung since he was jailed last year for his involvement in a 2016 riot. But to the thousands of protesters on the streets chanting, “Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times,” a clarion call Leung himself coined, the 28-year-old is a spiritual leader of the city’s months-long unrest. The activist is credited for bringing “localism,” a movement that advocates for greater autonomy from mainland China, into the mainstream. His early days as an advocate for independence are seen in the award-winning documentary Lost in the Fumes—which, naturally, has become essential viewing for the city’s protesters, who in October gathered in the hundreds outside a court building as he appealed his sentence. Although Leung is unable to join the mass protests from prison, he has offered his support. Back in July, he wrote a poignant open letter to the protesters encouraging them to fight on. Nora Lam, who directed the documentary, says, “He has a way of sounding like he always has something new, something provocative and interesting to say.” —Hillary Leung

TIME may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.