Writing on the wall: a tour of Hong Kong’s protest graffiti
Scrawls on the streets of Hong Kong provide a crash course in the memes, messages and demands of the pro-democracy movement
By Eduardo Baptista
Every Friday night A Him, a 14-year-old Hong Konger, sheds his school uniform, packs his paint and roams the city on a skateboard looking for walls to scribble on. His tags range from the rousing (“Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times”), to more juvenile digs at the police (“Popo sucks”).
As increasingly violent pro-democracy protests disrupt Hong Kong, graffiti remains a peaceful but persistent form of resistance in a city renowned for order. Tags and scrawls provide a crash course in the slogans, memes and demands of the protest movement, which remains determined to get its message across. “If the police tear down posters, graffiti is the only option left,” says A Him.
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