Protesters open up their umbrellas at precisely 5:57pm, the time at which the first can of teargas was thrown on Sep. 28.
Last night, the Umbrella Movement commemorated its one-month anniversary.
Exactly 30 days ago, Occupy Central was launched as the student strike gained momentum. The police cracked down on the protests, using pepper spray and tear gas. Since then, parts of Admiralty, Causeway Bay, and Mong Kok have been occupied by pro-democracy protesters.
By 5:30pm, the start of the night’s events, Admiralty was already filled.
On the cue of the leaders on stage, the crowd opened their umbrellas.
People unfurled a replica of the “I want real universal suffrage” banner that was displayed on Lion Rock mountain before it was taken down.
People waved their lit-up cellphones as they sang together.
One of the hallmarks of the Umbrella Movement is the DIY spirit that permeates its camps. Here, people write down their names so that they can be engraved onto free, handmade leather ribbons.
A man carrying a yellow umbrella, the symbol of the movement.
Boxes of chalk are left out for people to use to draw on the pavement.
There is a small woodshop area where protesters work together to build desks for the ever-growng Study Corner.
The rally was peaceful, with people sitting down to listen to speeches and music performances on stage.
Though the protests have been painted as a student movement, a variety of faces can be seen in the crowd, especially tonight.
A man in a Guy Fawkes mask stood on a stepladder holding his umbrella art all night.
A group of older protesters sit on a highway divider.
A woman works by lamplight to craft leather yellow umbrella necklaces. In front of her are hard hats decorated with drawings of scenes from the protests.
Leaders and performers on stage opened their umbrellas with the crowd. The giant yellow balloon is signed by supporters from the advertising industry.
An artist lays out his Umbrella Movement-related work on the ground.
The umbrellas came in handy when it started to drizzle.
Many have become fully accustomed to hanging out at the protest camp, with tents, tables and chairs set up.
A souped-up sports car is parked on the outskirts of the protests. Eraseable markers are available to write messages on the car. The car’s license plate, “JANPOSUEN”, is how you pronounce the Cantonese for “real universal suffrage”.
People pose with a life-size cardboard cut-out of Chinese president Xi Jin Ping. The photo from which this was taken won China’s most prestigious photojournalism prize, and protesters have gleefully coloured his umbrella yellow and reproduced the photo in memes galore.
Two schoolgirls walk down a corridor deliberately left open by protesters sitting on a flyover.
Rows of tents and people watched screens onto which the onstage events were projected.
A tired girl curls up against her mother.
A young woman holds up her balloon umbrella.
Protesters wave their cellphones in unison and wield their umbrellas against the rain. On the ground, a poster says “689: Leave HK, please.” “689” is a nickname given to Chief Executive CY Leung, referring to the number of votes he won to come into office.
Photos/Words: Laurel Chor
Reader Interactions