Visual Resistance & Umbrella Movement in Hong Kong

Wai-Kwok Benson Wong @ bwkwong@hkbu.edu.hkDepartment of Government & International Studies

Hong Kong Baptist UniversityJune 18, 2015

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Why important? (1)1. Challenge the mainstream & hegemonic discourse &

understanding of local politics Self-determination of destiny: Only Hong Kong people, not

the Beijing authorities, can make Powerlessness empowerment

2. Redefinition of social protests as well as Hong Kong Stability, development, order challenge deception,

distortion, control Economic, commercial city, a city in China ONLY city-state

with vision, hope and future

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Why important? (2)3. Power of the powerlessness

Umbrellas VS tear gas bombs Civic resistance and creation VS police brutality

& government’s ignorance (Re-)Creation VS indoctrination & stereotyped

thinking Emotion energy to keep power for resistance

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Political contexts 1. “The China Factor”: Political manipulation of the Beijing authorities: 2017 Chief

Executive Election manipulate the nomination: political screening of candidates being loyal to the PRC

under the nomination committee of 1,200 members who are not elected by the general public

Repeatedly name the 2017 election to be direct – 1 man,1 vote – in order to mislead the public: “Putting lipstick on a pig” (*rejected by the Legislative Council on June 18!)

2. Civil responses: Deployed the bottom-up approach to come up with the public views of the

democratic proposal: Deliberation Days Occupy Central: If gov’t rejects the proposals Civic referendum on June 22, 2013 to endorse the popular proposals – civil

nomination

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Political contexts3. The official suppression & responses

August 31’s declaration by the Beijing authorities: manipulating the nomination committee, imposing political screening, rejecting democratic proposals as well as civic nomination

Class boycotting at tertiary institutions in the week of Sept 22 Arrested the student’s leaders (e.g., Joshua Wong) Protestors besieged the Government Headquarters Police suppression on Sept 28 but failed Umbrella Movement Occupation period in Admiralty, Causeway Bay & Mongkok till

mid-December Post-Umbrella Movement’s era

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Umbrella [1]

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Umbrella [2]

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Umbrella [3]

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Umbrella [4]

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Umbrella [5]

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Umbrella [6]1. Police brutality (tear gas bombs) powerful, violent

VS civil resistance (umbrellas) powerless, non-violent

2. Symbol of resistance: police, HKSAR, Beijing gov’t manipulative political reforms authoritarian rule

3. Interpretive meanings: open: spreading; hold: supporting/insisting, protecting the students…; yellow: hope, vision and energy

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Lion Rock [1]

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Lion Rock [2]

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Lion Rock [3]

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Lion Rock [4] + Umbrella

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Lion Rock1. Mountain, symbolizing HK

2. Historical context: pre-1980s HK: diligent, adaptive, competitive, (apolitical) = success story = depoliticizing

3. Hanging a yellow banner: “I want genuine universal suffrage” that questioned & transformed the hegemonic meaning persistent, fearless & resistant in striving for democracy and being free under the China threat

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Police [1]

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Police [2]

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Police [3]

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Police [4]

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Police [5]

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Police [6]

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Police1. Question the police’s doing

Police violence & brutality: from tear gas bombs to beat the protestors illegally

Beast, Chinese police (Gongan), triad society’s members

2. Political instrument of the regime

3. People’s enemy: division between the police and citizens – people’s hostility

4. Interpretative meanings: undermine peace, order, rule of law & profession

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Conclusion: Visual resistance as1. Collective memory: as vision, direction, emotion…2. “Political” Identity & cultural framing: China VS HK;

Police VS citizens; Stability & prosperity VS equality & power; Bad/Evil VS Good/Kind; Government VS people

3. Energy of resistance: socially & politically undermine hegemonic discourse, language & brutality

4. Creation, recreation Transformation