Soft power insurgency pits brolly against baton

In common with other mass protest movements of recent years, the Hong Kong protests have played out on both the streets and on social media, where it has been labelled the Umbrella Revolution.

It might seem like an unlikely moniker for a movement that is challenging Beijing, but is born out of a characteristic of Hong Kong’s daily life – the ubiquity of umbrellas is a function of the climate.

At this time of year the heavy rains of the summer ease off, and in recent weeks the rain has been interspersed with unusually fierce sunshine.

When the protests began on Friday, September 26th, the crowds were using umbrellas to shield themselves from the sun. By Tuesday, the umbrellas were protecting the protesters from a prolonged deluge.

But in between, when the police struck with a surprising use of force, the umbrellas had been used to fend off pepper spray and, to a lesser extent, tear gas.

Images of the police spraying a wall of raised umbrellas quickly spread on social media, as did a photograph of one protester, arms aloft carrying an umbrella in each hand as he is engulfed in tear gas. He was dubbed Umbrella Man, an image of lone resistance that recalled the Tank Man of Tiananmen Square.

And thus the humble umbrella, as mundane a daily item as can be, quickly became a symbol of the protest movement’s resistance, along with the yellow ribbons many protesters are wearing.

Artists’ designs

Graffiti featuring the umbrella symbol have begun to appear on walls and roads across the city, and artists are creating designs incorporating the umbrella in various motifs of resistance.

The umbrella is already a symbol of inclusivity – the term “umbrella organisation” already describes co-operating bodies – and this protest movement sees a number of student groups co-ordinating the protests in a loose alliance.

The umbrella’s power as a symbol of resistance is a direct result of how distinctly non- threatening it is.

In protecting themselves, literally and figuratively, from the might of Beijing with a mere umbrella, the protesters are highlighting the asymmetry of the power relations between the two sides.

The dignified behaviour of the peaceful protesters is juxtaposed with the excessive force of the armoured police, the umbrella battling the baton.

But recent experience shows that symbolism alone cannot effect change.