When would you use an umbrella? Either it’s raining or it’s sunny, right? However, this unusual symbol of an umbrella has taken on a symbolic meaning during the pro-democracy demonstrations in Hong Kong. Thousands of protesters brought umbrellas with them for self-defense purposes. They used the umbrellas to shield themselves from police pepper spray and tear gas. Since then, social media has begun dubbing the protests the “Umbrella Revolution.” Looking at the photos of the “Umbrella Revolution,” you can easily tell how organized and how prepared the protesters were because there was always an ocean of umbrellas on the front line. Hong Kong citizens were fearless. No matter how hard it was to fight for democracy, human rights, and even freedom, they would not fall back. Instead, they stayed united because they knew that it was the only way to win. My friend who was one of the protesters on the frontline said, “When we felt threatened, we opened umbrellas and raised our hands.”
The Bolt Magazine 