Hong Kong activists are getting protest tattoos of umbrellas, gas masks, and a bleeding eye, in a bo

Posted by Martina Birk on Thursday, September 5, 2024

But many Hong Kongers have chosen to express their commitment to protests by getting symbols associated with the movement as tattoos, a CNN report said .

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Photos posted to Instagram by Hong Kong tattoo studios with pro-protest hashtags show gas masks, hard hats, and yellow umbrellas (the symbol of the 2014 pro-democracy protests) inked onto protesters.

One tattoo, first reported on by CNN, is of a bleeding eye.

This tattoo inked onto one protester has two meanings depending which way it is read. One way makes it mean "Hong Kong," and when read the other way it says "add oil." "

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The tattooist who supplied the artwork told CNN they gave out over 100 free protest-based tattoos to demonstrators in July.

This tattoo, posted on August 3 by tattooist Zada Lam , is of the Hong King bauhinia flower, and the umbrella protest symbol.

This tattoo design, posted by one Hong Kong tattoo studio, combines the famous Hong Kong umbrella protest symbol with the phrase "HomeKong."

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The territory is experiencing one of the largest sustained demonstrations in recent history, triggered by a bill which would allow extradition of Hong Kong residents to mainland China.

The tattoos may, however, help police identify protesters caught up in violence.

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