How the Umbrella Became a Symbol for Hong Kong's Occupy Movement
The umbrella emerged as a symbol of the protest in Hong Kong mostly due to weather, but it has since become a mascot for pro-democracy protestors.
The group, which on Tuesday was in its fifth day of protesting the unfair democratic practices by the local government, first began showing up with umbrellas to protect them from the overwhelming mid-day heat, the BBC reported.
But as tear gas canisters were thrown on the protestors, their umbrellas were their only shield and have since become the icon of the newly dubbed Umbrella Revolution.
While other names are floating around, using social media hashtags, such as Occupy Hong Kong, many predict the umbrella will lead as the nickname for the event.
The protesters are butting heads with the Chinese government because of its refusal to allow the open selection of candidates for Hong Kong's leader in the city's first democratic election, scheduled for 2017, USA Today reported.
Coincidentally, as neither side has backed down, the 65th anniversary of the Communist Party's seizure of power in China approaches Wednesday.
The Occupy Central civil disobedience movement tweeted that the holiday was a deadline for Hong Kong's leader, Leung Chun-ying, to meet their demands, and guarantee a fair election process, or step down as leader.
No action has been taken and the group said in the statement that if that is the case, they will outline a new strategy for their movement.
And while those on the ground facing the authorities are doing so with umbrellas in hand, social media users have been moved by the images and some are calling for more online art to support the Umbrella Revolution.
"I was inspired by seeing people defend themselves with domestic props. The contrast was so marked. On the one side there was police brutality and on the other side there were these poor umbrellas," Hong Kong artist Kacey Wong told the BBC. "The umbrella has been transformed from a normal every day object to a symbol of defiance, a symbol of resistance."
Wong said that the influx of interest and support from the Internet has opened up the protest to the world, instead of keeping it on the ground in Hong Kong.
The two symbols of the protests are currently a yellow ribbon and the umbrellas.
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