Co-authoring the space: demonstrators’ creative expression and other associated features
The article is part of the 'Hong Kong: One Year Ago Today' initiative which aims to raise awareness for the movement and also to debunk some myths regarding the movement’s origins and core elements.
The thumbnail picture was taken by photojournalist Peter Wong from Stand News who was highly commended for Best News Photography Collection in the 2020 Taiwan Press Photography Competition.
All movements are marked by distinct cultures, many of whom possess their own identification. Whether it be the giant pink octopus seen at the London Extinction Rebellion protests in October 2019 or the Trump baby balloon Major of London Sadiq Khan permissioned to fly amidst London’s Trump protest in June 2019; icons, symbols and slogans all form part of the movement’s own identity. Similarly, in Hong Kong, from icons, symbols, slogans, mascots to anthems and even Cantonese language play, distinct features of the Hong Kong Anti-Extradition Demonstrations surfaced as attributions to the movement’s identity.
Symbols, Mascots and Anthems
Strong visuals and recognisable features are crucial for conventional representation. Whether that be through symbols, mascots or anthems, these features must be iconic and can be distinctly recognised as belonging to a particular movement. Noticeable features of the Anti-Extradition demonstrations were its symbolic flag and associated colours, its mascots and iconic ‘figures’ of the movement, and the composition of its anthem which has since become the embodiment of national sentiment and collective social attitudes amongst movement supporters.
The Bauhinia Flag
The Hong Kong Flag consists of a white five-petaled Bauhinia flower positioned at the centre of a red background. First adopted in 1990, its design carries significant cultural, political and regional meanings. Traditionally, the red colour conveys a sense of celebration and nationalism and is often considered as a festive colour in Chinese culture. The five stars on the petals of the flower mirror the five stars on the Chinese national flag and act as a reminder of the close linkage between Hong Kong and China. The positioning of the flower at the centre reflects a sense of national unity and the juxtaposition in the colours red and white is symbolic of harmonisation within the ‘one country, two systems’ dichotomy.
Image Credits: Y/Times
During the Anti-Extradition movement, the flag was modified and its variant was known as the ‘Black Bauhinia’. In the modified design, the flower’s petals are wilted and sometimes depicted as stained with blood. The flower is positioned on a completely black background and its petals have lost its five stars. Representative of the demonstrations, the changed design is often interpreted as reflective of the erosion of sovereignty and breakdown in harmonisation.
July 1st, a day usually marked by annual protests to remember the anniversary of Hong Kong’s handover from Britain to China in 1997, saw a record-breaking number of people marching during the anti-extradition movement. An alleged total of 550,000 marchers was seen on the streets on July 1st 2019 protesting against the now-withdrawn extradition bill. In the morning of the movement, demonstrators were seen replacing the Chinese national flag with the ‘Black Bauhinia’ prior to an official flag-raising ceremony. The flag was flown on the day as an act of mourning and the ‘Black Bauhinia’ later emerged as a symbol of ‘protest and rebellion’ and became representative of the movement.
Image Credits: Billy H.C. Kwok/Getty Images AsiaPacific
‘Black T-shirts’
Comparable to the yellow vests in France, ‘black-t-shirts’ became synonymous with the Hong Kong protests. Whilst the colour black had always been perceived as an idiom of opposition and its usage associated with ‘black bloc’ - a strategy where protestors wear black clothing and accessorise with face-concealing garments to protect their identities and make difficult to distinguish between participants – it was a symbol of unity amongst the Hong Kong protestors and gave them a collective identity. Government reaction to this was an imposed ban on the imports of black clothing which according to the New York Times, ‘misses the point’ as ‘it’s not the colour (black or otherwise) that defines protest clothing. It is the fact that a group of people, united in common cause, are united in a common shade. It’s the joint identity that stands out: the visual expression of a voluminous voice.’
‘Pepe the Frog’, ‘LIHKG pig’ and ‘LIHKG dog’
Despite its acknowledgement as an ‘open-sourced’ movement, meaning that it was not centrally organised, its lack of leadership did not prevent the surfacing of publicly-nominated ‘leaders.’ Anthropomorphic animals such as ‘‘Pepe the Frog’, ‘LIHKG pig’ and ‘LIHKG dog’ became icons of the movement.
Image Credits: AP Photos
An illustration created in 2005 by Matt Furie, ‘Pepe the Frog’ was popularised on MySpace and Tumblr before being appropriated as a symbol of hate in America’s alt-right movement during the 2016 US Presidential Elections. Despite its previous associations with white supremacy and antisemitism, this was of little relevance to the Hong Kong protestors and many were unaware of its negative connotations in the US. Instead, its deployment in the Hong Kong Anti-Extradition demonstrations was seen as symbolic of youth participation in the movement. Whilst Matt Furie had previously condemned its usage as a ‘hate symbol’, after witnessing its popularisation in Hong Kong, he later expressed, ‘in the end, Pepe is whatever you say he is, and I, the creator, say that he is love.’
Image Credits: The funeral of Pepe the Frog, as depicted by his creator, cartoonist Matt Furie /Tumblr
Amongst supporters of the anti-extradition demonstrations, ‘Pepe the Frog’ became an icon of hope. The cartoon frog appealed to the movement’s participants due to its versatility when it came to its strange but funny visuals. It was not only eye-catching enough to grab people’s attention but also provided them with a relatable character; an icon of hope and symbolic of youthful rebellion.
Whilst ‘Pepe the Frog’ originated overseas, the movement’s alternate icons, the LIHKG pig and LIHKG dog were local creations. Conceived on the online communication platform LIHKG, the pig and the Shiba Inu dog represent two of the most popular memes and cartoons shared between users and are often depicted wearing the movement’s ubiquitous yellow tradesman helmets.
Image Credits: Telegram
Read more about LIHKG in a later section, ‘LIHK, Telegram, ‘Airdrop’ and Sign Language: Facilitated Communication During the Movement Using a Combination of Digital Platforms and Hand Gestures’
Much like ‘Pepe the Frog’, the movement’s mascots offered light-hearted relief for the participants of the movement. Their relatability and entertaining visuals have made them attractions amongst demonstrators and have since been donned and emblazoned on various movement publicity displays. From flyers, banners, plaques to physical merchandise, these virtual characters became the designated mascots of the movement; symbolic of unity and reminders of resilience amongst the demonstrators.
‘Glory to Hong Kong’, ‘Sing Hallelujah to the Lord’ and ‘Do You Hear the People Sing’
In addition to visual symbols and icons, another key feature of the Hong Kong Anti-Extradition demonstrations was its anthem, ‘Glory to Hong Kong’. Product of collaborative efforts between LIHKG users and composed by a local musician, the anthem came to represent the movement and was said to have helped to ‘unite Hong Kongers and boost public morale’.
Whilst this anthem had not been published until September, the musical feature of the movement was not without predecessors. Songs such as the iconic ‘Do You Hear the People Sing’ from Les Miserables, sung during the Umbrella Movement 2014, and the Christian Hymn ‘Sing Hallelujah to the Lord’, sung at the beginning of the 2019 Anti-Extradition Demonstrations, were said to not only have inspired the protestors but were effective in unifying the protestors behind a national identity. According to the composer himself, ‘Music solidifies our beliefs, boosts our morale even in bad conditions,’ he said. ‘As a musician, I may offer something more powerful, that helps people to become mentally strong. Helmets may protect them from a baton once or twice, but ideas are bulletproof.’
Slogans and Mantras
Hong Kong’s cultural identity heavily influenced various aspects of the movement and a key characteristic of the movement’s chants, memes, banners and slogans was that of Cantonese language play. Its irreverent nature and unique sense of humour is highly representative of Hong Kong’s local culture. The caustic nature of the Cantonese language was effective in turning criticism over its head. Through incorporating local slangs, insults and wordplay, the slogans used were gentle and subversive, effective in offering comic relief to counter the darker tones of the movement.
‘Five Demands, Not One Less’
The slogan, ‘Five Demands, Not One Less,’ refers to the five main objectives laid out by the demonstrators: demand for the retraction of the characterisation of protests as ‘riots,’ conduct an independent investigation into the use of force by police, unconditional release of everyone arrested in the context of protests, political reform to ensure genuine universal suffrage and the withdrawal of the (now-withdrawn) extradition bill. Often accompanied by hand gestures and other symbols, ‘Five Demands, Not One Less,’ remains as one of the most prominent slogans of the movement and embodies its primary motivations.
‘Be Water’
Drawing inspiration from a local hero, the late martial arts legend Bruce Lee became a key source of motivation for the protestors. Advocating fluidity and adaptability, he famously advised to ‘be water, my friend’: ‘be formless, shapeless, like water.’ Adopting this rhetoric, the demonstrations in 2019 saw adaptations in strategies and tactics as compared with the Umbrella Movement in 2014. Instead of prolonged mass sit-ins, in order to reserve energy and sustain momentum, the protestors abandoned traditional strategies and focused on moving seamlessly as one maintaining a ‘formless’ collective, able to move fluidly around different locations and adapt to various terrains and ‘battlefields’.
Slogans such as ‘Hong Kongers, Add Oil’, ‘Liberate Hong Kong, Revolution of Our Time’, ‘Stand with Hong Kong – Fight for Freedom’ are just a few of many slogans and mantras that were created and used during the movement.
Protest Art, Lennon Walls, Lennon Tunnels and Memorials
Another key feature of the movement was its iconic visuals and graphics. Known collectively as ‘Protest Art’, various artforms surfaced as the movement progressed. Drawing on the ‘be water’ mentality, from visual signages to decorative walls, creative expression witnessed during the period demonstrated increased interconnectivity within the community. Whilst seemingly mundane, they were apparent in their methods of supporting local artists and graphic designers and encouraging greater participation from ordinary citizens.
Protest Art
From posters, banners, flyers, merchandise to online animations, ‘protest art’ was used as a means of communication and creative expression during the movement. Supporting local talent, it not only marked an apparent sense of uniformity amongst the movement’s participants but further helped curate a sense of identity.
Whilst contributors to ‘protest art’ tended to be local talent, its style displayed a diverse range of talent. From stylised graphics inspired by Japanese anime to incorporations of superhero symbolism and dystopic pictorials, adaptations of famous paintings, comics, animations and mirrorings of Hollywood movie styles, strong visuals and memorable graphics characterised the distributed collateral. Promotional materials were used to not only advertise upcoming rallies and marches but were also widely-circulated online and featured extensively on social media. They were often means of communicating key information relating to the movement and also promoting the movement’s core messages.
Image Credits (from left to right): Phesti/Times, Telegram/CNN, Telegram/CNN
G20 Summit Newspaper Crowdfunding Campaign 2019
G20 is an annual summit forum consisting of 19 countries and the European Union which together comes to represent most of the world economy. In an attempt to raise the movement’s social profile and win international attention, participants of the movement crowdfunded front-page newspaper ads on various international newspapers such as Le Monde, Süddeutsch Zeitung, the Asahi Shimbun, the Globe and Mail, the Seoul Daily, the Guardian, the New York Times and the Japan Times.
Launched on June 24th, the campaign raised over $5 million Hong Kong Dollars and in the days leading up and during the Summit, striking full-page black and white advertisements titled ‘Stand With Hong Kong at G20’ were seen posted, accompanied by an open letter asking foreign nationals to put pressure on their governments ahead of G20 Summits to take action over the Hong Kong issue: ‘we now need your support, get our voices heard at your governments and consulates; let freedom prevail at the upcoming G20 Summit and beyond. We can be saved if you act now.’
Image Credits: Full-page ads and open letters from Freedom Hong Kong in the UK’s The Guardian (left) and Germany’s Süddeutsche Zeitung (right) by KongTsungGan/Twitter
Lennon Walls, Lennon Tunnels and Memorials
In addition to international outreach, means of local outreach also became a key feature of the movement. ‘Lennon Walls’ and ‘Lennon Tunnels’ were symbolic in their means as ‘space’ for open expression. They not only encouraged unity and greater connectivity but also proffered as a means to show solidarity with other individuals. Similarly, ‘Lennon Walls’ and ‘Lennon Tunnels’ also drew on the ‘be water’ mentality as it allowed the movement to reach all parts of the city, inclusive of its different neighbourhoods and different levels of society.
Inspired by the John Lennon Wall in Prague, a memorial created in the 1980s as a tribute to world peace, the first ‘Lennon Wall’ was seen in Hong Kong during the 2014 Umbrella Movement. It was later featured in a special exhibition, ‘Disobedient Objects’, at Victoria and Albert Museum in London in the same year. Back in 2014, the ‘Lennon Wall’ was a massive public outdoor display of multi-coloured post-it notes around the Hong Kong central government offices in Admiralty.
Image Credits: One side of the protest site outside Hong Kong’s Central Government Offices at Admiralty. From top to bottom: wall projection from “Add Oil Machine for HK Occupiers”, “Lennon Wall”, and numerous sketches and posters by Becky Sun/VAM
Five years later, the ‘Lennon Walls’ which propagated around the city during the anti-extradition demonstrations reflected the same features as the one first seen in 2014. Public spaces were transformed from bare walls and notice boards into visually-appealing wall displays covered in post-its and various pieces of ‘protest art’. Often perceived as a ‘symbol of resistance,’ these walls not only inspired ordinary people to participate in socially engaged creativity but also reflected sentiments of inspiration and unity.
‘Lennon Walls’ extended its reach to public tunnels, underpasses and bridges, and these were later called ‘Lennon Tunnels’. Due to its extensive coverage, it created a somewhat immersive experience for individuals walking through the space. The post-it notes and various displays of posters and flyers were said to have helped not only forge connections between the artist and the audience but proffered as a display of solidarity: ‘suddenly you see all these voices, they are like the inner voice of yourself written down on the wall. You will not feel lonely anymore.’
Image Credits: Reuters/Tyrone Siu (Top Left), AP Photos (Top Right), Winson Wong/SCMP (Bottom Left), 陳焯煇/端傳媒 (Bottom Right)
On June 15th 2019, 35-year-old protestor, Marco Leung Ling-Kit, fell to his death after unfurling a banner bearing the words, ‘Carrie Lam kills HK.’ Whilst his death was later classified by the Hong Kong Police as ‘suicide,’ his death marked the first life lost to the anti-extradition bill movement. Praised as a ‘martyr’ for his actions, a memorial was curated the following day at the place of his fall. Supporters of the movement came forward and paid their tributes in the form of white flowers and messages of thanks. On the day of his death, he had been wearing a yellow raincoat and became known as the ‘Raincoat Man’. Memorials, such as the one made for Leung, became a common feature as the movement progressed to mark the few deaths that followed and also places of violent clashes where there were serious injuries caused.
Image Credit: RTHK
Image Credit: Asia Times
LIHK, Telegram, ‘Airdrop’ and Sign Language: Facilitated Communication During the Movement Using a Combination of Digital Platforms and Hand Gestures
Online forums like LIHKG and messaging apps like Telegram became the main tools for communication and distribution of information and collateral during the movement.
The movement’s open-sourced nature required a means for wide distribution and circulation of information with speed and efficiency. Often referred to as Hong Kong’s own version of Reddit, LIHKG became the movement’s ‘virtual command centre’ where promotional material as well as ‘protest art’ were distributed. The multi-category forum website also became the means used for discussions related to the movement.
Telegram was also commonly used amongst those involved in the demonstrations. Due to its encrypted messaging functionality, it was used as a means of safe communication for both coordination of tactics and also the distribution of movement promotional materials.
Image Credits: Antony Dapiran
Participants of the movement were also innovative in finding means to distribute collateral effectively. Using the ‘AirDrop’ feature on iPhones, ‘protest art’ and other promotional materials were sent directly to people’s phones via Bluetooth, without the need for a mobile connection. On public transport and public spaces, protestors were able to use this feature to distribute material discretely and with total anonymity.
Communication methods during the movement were as creative as it was diverse and this was evident in both online and offline settings. During demonstrations, supply lines were formed to help deliver supplies to the front lines. Supply lines were usually formed of human chains and to ensure maximum efficiency, the demonstrators developed a unique system of hand signals to communicate messages through the crowd about what equipment or service is required.
Editors' Note: As a blanket disclaimer for the entire ‘Hong Kong: One Year Ago Today’ initiative, we will not be disclosing the identities of any of the contributors to the initiative. We thank everyone who has submitted a piece of their own work and we apologise for not being able to openly accredit you for your contributions.