As a result there was a series of demonstrations and protests in Hong Kong, which were initially organised by the Hong Kong Federation of Students and Scholarism. The students were later joined by many other supporters. In order to shield themselves from pepper spray and tear gas the supporters started to use umbrellas. These (especially those coloured yellow) quickly turned into a symbol of protest against the government.
The ‘Umbrella Patchwork’ was made from more than 250 discarded and broken umbrella awnings (the cloth used to cover the umbrella frame). It was made by a group of about fifty students at the Academy of Visual Arts, Hong Kong Baptist University. It took three days and nights to make and was about 10 x 10 m in size. It was temporarily suspended from two footbridges in Admiralty, Hong Kong in order to provide shelter to protesters. The students regarded the Umbrella Patchwork as symbolising the unity and good wishes of Hong Kong people in their peaceful fight for democracy.
Digital source (retrieved 18th March 2016).
Digital source of illustration (retrieved 12th June 2016).
GVE