The written

traditional Chinese characters Traditional Chinese characters are one type of standard Chinese character sets of the contemporary written Chinese. The traditional characters had taken shapes since the clerical change and mostly remained in the same structure they took ...

for vertical banners are " 直幡", and the horizontal counterpart, horizontal

banner A banner can be a flag or another piece of cloth bearing a symbol, logo, slogan or another message. A flag whose design is the same as the shield in a coat of arms (but usually in a square or rectangular shape) is called a banner of arms. Als ...

s, are written as "横額" in

traditional Chinese A tradition is a belief or behavior (folk custom) passed down within a group or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore, common examples include holidays ...

. This article focuses on the use of vertical banners as protest banners in

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delta i ...

Introduction

English-language banners are often horizontally written, but because

Chinese characters Chinese characters () are logograms developed for the writing of Chinese. In addition, they have been adapted to write other East Asian languages, and remain a key component of the Japanese writing system where they are known as ''kanji ...

are traditionally written vertically and are read from top to bottom,

s have the options to be vertically scripted, or horizontally written. Normally, smaller vertical banners in

are used as election campaign material or as advertisement tactic. One may also see them hung on street lamps as celebratory decoration occasionally.

Used as protest banners

During mass protests and demonstrations dozens, and sometimes, hundreds, of

protest marchers would hold up long banners horizontally so onlookers from high-rise buildings can see the words from above. In general,

Cantonese Cantonese ( zh, t=廣東話, s=广东话, first=t, cy=Gwóngdūng wá) is a language within the Chinese (Sinitic) branch of the Sino-Tibetan languages originating from the city of Guangzhou (historically known as Canton) and its surrounding ar ...

characters and written Chinese are both used in these vertical protest banners. On the other hand, while most of these vertical protest banners were written in

, occasionally

simplified Chinese Simplification, Simplify, or Simplified may refer to: Mathematics Simplification is the process of replacing a mathematical expression by an equivalent one, that is simpler (usually shorter), for example * Simplification of algebraic expressions, ...

, a product created by Communist China since the

Cultural Revolution The Cultural Revolution, formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a sociopolitical movement in the People's Republic of China (PRC) launched by Mao Zedong in 1966, and lasting until his death in 1976. Its stated goa ...

in 1949, are used in these protest banners for their negative connotations and cynical association with Communist China. In

, with its native tongue being

and native written language being

, the controversy over traditional and simplified Chinese can be easily detected on these vertical protest banners. While banners, large and small, vertical and horizontal, have been used throughout Hong Kong since as early as 1967, and most frequently during the annual Tienanmen Square Massacre march and vigil since 1989, it was the

Umbrella Movement The Umbrella Movement () was a political movement that emerged during the Hong Kong democracy protests of 2014. Its name arose from the use of umbrellas as a tool for passive resistance to the Hong Kong Police's use of pepper spray to dispe ...

of 2014 marked the beginning of the uniquely

hill-top vertical protest banners movement. A group of rock climbing activists decided to unfurl a 30-meter vertical protest banner on

Lion Rock Lion Rock, or less formally Lion Rock Hill, is a mountain in Hong Kong. It is located in Sha Tin District, between Kowloon Tong of Kowloon and Tai Wai of the New Territories, and is high. The peak consists of granite covered sparsely by shr ...

and document their descent on

YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...

. At the time, even some

citizens thought it was a joke. The yellow fabric echoed the iconic yellow helmet in the

. Since then, many more hill-top banners have shown up throughout

, and the messages to the government also become increasing harsh as

authorities and

Chinese government The Government of the People's Republic of China () is an authoritarian political system in the People's Republic of China under the exclusive political leadership of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). It consists of legislative, executive, m ...

continue to crack down on dissents. The vertical protest banners documented below often showcase the Chinese character "我", which literally translates as "I". However, as

citizens protest in solidarity in thousands and sometimes in millions, the banners will be translated into "we". All Chinese characters on the banners are written here exactly as is.

Prior to Umbrella Movement

1989 Tienanmen Square Massacre

On June 4, 1989, after the

Massacre A massacre is the killing of a large number of people or animals, especially those who are not involved in any fighting or have no way of defending themselves. A massacre is generally considered to be morally unacceptable, especially when per ...

took place,

Hong Kong University The University of Hong Kong (HKU) (Chinese: 香港大學) is a public research university in Hong Kong. Founded in 1887 as the Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese, it is the oldest tertiary institution in Hong Kong. HKU was also the fir ...

students lay out a bridge-length black vertical protest banner and painted in white the phrase "Cold-Blooded Slaughters Will Not Kill Their Spirit; Vow to Revenge Democracy Never Dies"「冷血屠城烈士英魂不朽誓殲豺狼民主星火不滅」to show support of democracy and to condemn the Chinese government. Although the black vertical protest banner was only hung for one day, the white paint that leaked through the fabric and left on the bridge become a piece of historic artifact of the banner's existence. Thereafter, annually, Hong Kong University students would repaint these twenty words directly on the bridge concrete. This is probably the first vertical pro-democracy protest banner in Hong Kong. As time passes, the June 4th commemoration vigil in

would always be held at night in

Victoria Park Victoria Park may refer to: Places Australia * Victoria Park Nature Reserve, a protected area in Northern Rivers region, New South Wales * Victoria Park, Adelaide, a park and racecourse * Victoria Park, Brisbane, a public park and former golf ...

, since the massacre in 1989. The weekend before June 4, or if June 4 lands on a weekend, there would be a massive rally on the streets of

Causeway Bay Causeway Bay is an area and a bay on Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong, straddling the border of the Eastern and the Wan Chai districts. It is a major shopping, leisure and cultural centre in Hong Kong, with a number of major shopping centres. Th ...

to demand accountability from the Chinese officials as authorities still denied to this date. The vertical protest banner shown here was from the 2009–20th anniversary—march, on which "Dare Not Forget June Fourth" (「毋忘六四」) and "Remember June Fourth 20th Anniversary" (「紀念六四20週年」). In 2020,

authorities for the first time denied the vigil citing pandemic health concerns, and later arrested many for unlawful gathering.

2007 Queen's Pier Preservation

Hundreds of protesters stayed around-the-clock to block the demolition of the British colonial relic

Queen's Pier Queen's Pier, named after Queen Victoria, was a public pier in front of City Hall in Edinburgh Place, Central, Hong Kong. For three generations it served not only as a public pier in day-to-day use but also as a major ceremonial arrival and d ...

. White vertical banners were seen being hung from the roof of the pier as hunger strikes continued for days. The readings, from left to right, roughly translated as "Need One More of You", (「差你一個」), "Safeguard the Queen('s Pier)" (「保衛皇后」), "Fight To The Death" (「同佢死過」) and "Government Coerces Citizens Revolt" (「官逼民反」). This preservation campaign has been considered as the birth of Hong Kong's localist movement as younger Hong Kong citizens identified more as independent Hong Kongers.

2007 Hong Kong Chinese University Graduation Ceremony

On December 6, 2007, a pair of red-fabric white font vertical protest banners were unfurled from the top floor of CUHK building to the ground. The purpose of the banner was to protest the then-Hong Kong Chief Executive Officer Tung Chee-Wha awarded an honorary doctorate degree by

Lawrence Lau Lawrence Lau Juen-yee, GBS, JP (; born 1944) is a Hong Kong economist and the former Vice-Chancellor of the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He was a non-official member of the Executive Council of Hong Kong from 2009 to 2012. Before joinin ...

, the principal of CUHK. 「董建華禍港殃民有博士劉遵義求榮賣校無良知」roughly translates to "Tung Chee-Wha hurt Hong Kong so much but received a doctorate degree; Lawrence Lau sold out the school with no ethics".

2014 Northeast New Territories Development Protest

The protest against government's lack of consultation with original inhabitants of the remote area and the lack of Hong Kong ecological and cultural preservation in this new housing development proposal drew ire to thousands of Hong Kong citizens. More over, the Legislative Council budget committee passed the budget proposal without following proper procedures. The two persons climbing to the top of a pedestrian bridge roof to hang four banners was opposition leader Cheung Kwai-choi and a social activist Chow Nok Hang. He unfurled four vertical protest banners lined by 50,000 signatures in red color from Hong Kong citizens opposing the development with black fonts. He was later fined a thousand HKD for disobeying executive orders, and may have been the first Hong Kong citizen fined by hanging vertical protest banners.

September 22, 2014 College Boycott

Over 13,000 college students gathered in Hong Kong Chinese University (CUHK) on the first day of the Hong Kong class boycott campaign to demand universal suffrage and democracy in response to Beijing's denial on August 31. Other demands included increasing social inequality and increase government transparency and officials' accountability. The strike was supported by academic professors for a better Hong Kong and would later turn into the 2014 Umbrella Movement as Hong Kong government continued to ignore their demands. There were two black banners hung vertically in the main atrium of CUHK. They read "We Decide Our Fate Boycott Must Go On" (「抗命捉緊命運罷課事在必行」). The three vertical banners seen on protest ground of CUHK were considered a literary triplet and should be read together. The two black and one red banners written in white paint should be read from right to left: "Future Uncertainties Can Be Solved By Humanity-Focused Democracy" (「傳人本之道」「授民主基業」「解末來之惑」).

2014 Umbrella Movement

September–November, 2014 Harcourt Road, Admiralty

20141114 Hong Kong protests Admiralty bridge

Cellphones in Hong Kong during 2014 Hong Kong protests

Dissatisfaction toward both Hong Kong and China government led to a 79-day stand-off between ordinary citizens and high-power government officials. During the

most of

Admiralty Admiralty most often refers to: *Admiralty, Hong Kong *Admiralty (United Kingdom), military department in command of the Royal Navy from 1707 to 1964 *The rank of admiral *Admiralty law Admiralty can also refer to: Buildings * Admiralty, Traf ...

has been closed off and many vertical banners were hung from the pedestrian bridges perpendicular to Harcourt Road. Merging art, music and politics together, some of these banners were inspirational song lyrics, such as "Embrace Freedom In the Midst of Storm" (「風雨中抱緊自由」) from

Beyond Beyond may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Beyond'' (1921 film), an American silent film * ''Beyond'' (2000 film), a Danish film directed by Åke Sandgren, OT: ''Dykkerne'' * ''Beyond'' (2010 film), a Swedish film directed b ...

's song 海闊天空 ("Boundless Oceans, Vast Skies"). Others were rhyming phrases and drawings showing protesters' demands.

October 22, 2014 Lion Rock

Lion Rocks Umbrella Revolution Banner 20141024

This event is now commonly considered as the first documented hillside banner hanging in

. A local rock climbing group called "Hong Kong Spidie" claimed responsibility for hanging up the 28-meter yellow vertical banner that read "We Demand Genuine Universal Suffrage" (「我要真普選」) in black font with an umbrella symbol over

. Andreas, the rock-climbing group's leader, would famously put on a Spider-Man costume when interviewed, claiming that the Spider-Man persona symbolized a normal teenager doing good deeds to better the society. The group released two videos on

that morning: one was a manifesto video explaining

as the climb site to show the

Lion Rock Spirit Lion Rock Spirit (), is said to be the core values (香港核心價值) that is inherited by Hong Kong people from generation to generation. This term originated from the theme song of a 1970s TV series, ''Below the Lion Rock'', which portray ...

. Another video was a behind-the-scene video capturing the climb preparation, the actual descent on the Rock, and the unfurling of the vertical protest banner.

October 27–28, 2014 Hong Kong University and Hong Kong Chinese University

The now-famous yellow vertical protest banner "We Demand Genuine Universal Suffrage #Umbrella Movement" (「我要真普選」) was found hanging inside Hong Kong University campus and outside a medical staff dormitory building of Prince Whales Hospital of Hong Kong Chinese University in

Sha Tin Sha Tin, also spelt Shatin, is a neighbourhood along Shing Mun River in the eastern New Territories, Hong Kong. Administratively, it is part of the Sha Tin District. Sha Tin is one of the neighbourhoods of the Sha Tin New Town project. The ...

November 1, 2014 Kowloon Peak and Tai Po

Another familiar yellow-with-black-font "We Demand Genuine Universal Suffrage #Umbrella Movement" (「我要真普選」) banner was unfurled but this time at

Kowloon Peak Kowloon Peak, also known as Fei Ngo Shan (literally: "Soaring Goose Mountain"), is a tall mountain in the northeast corner of New Kowloon, Hong Kong, situated in Ma On Shan Country Park. It is the tallest mountain in Kowloon, and is crossed by ...

that is located next to

. More identical banner showed up in

Tai Po Tai Po is an area in the New Territories of Hong Kong. It refers to the vicinity of the traditional market towns in the area presently known as Tai Po Old Market or Tai Po Kau Hui () (the original "Tai Po Market") on the north of Lam Tsu ...

November 3, 2014 Next Media Headquarter in Tseung Kuan O

More happenings of the hanging of "We Demand Genuine Universal Suffrage #Umbrella Movement" (「我要真普選」) and this time the banner was located on the building of a pro-democracy print newspaper ''

Apple Daily ''Apple Daily'' ( zh, link=no, 蘋果日報) was a popular tabloid published in Hong Kong from 1995 to 2021. Founded by Jimmy Lai, it was one of the best-selling Chinese language newspapers in Hong Kong.

'' headquarter. The banner was funded by newspaper staff donation, according to news report.

December 9–11, 2014 Harcourt Road, Admiralty

On the final days of the

, two over-sized vertical banners, both were yellow with black font, were among the hundreds of pieces of protest materials being cleaned out. The smaller one of the two was originally spread out over Harcourt Road and then later vertically hung on a lamppost that showed "WE WILL BE BACK", in capitalized English and "Citizens swear to return" (「人民誓必歸來」) in Chinese. Another one was horizontally spread out on the occupied Harcourt road, showing in Chinese "Stand With Students" (「撑學生」). Four days later, Hong Kong government reclaimed the three occupied locations and declared the end of the 79-day movement.

December 13, 2014 Lion Rock and Devil's Peak

As the

approached its final days, Hong Kong citizens reported sightings of two vertical protest banners today. The one found on Lion Rock showed "Down With CY" (「CY下台」), referring to the then Hong Kong Chief Executive

Leung Chun-ying Leung Chun-ying (; born 12 August 1954), also known as CY Leung, is a Hong Kong politician and chartered surveyor, who has served as vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference since Ma ...

(CY Leung) and the one on Devil's Peak displayed "We Demand Genuine Universal Suffrage" (「我要真普選」).

Post-Umbrella Movement

Many Hong Kong citizens felt a sense of loss after the

ended; many activists were arrested and imprisoned, the Chinese and Hong Kong governments continued to suppress their voices such as disqualifying young, localist legislative council candidates on the grounds of lacking national patriotism. For example

Nathan Law Nathan Law Kwun-chung ( zh, link=no, t=羅冠聰; born 13 July 1993) is an activist and politician from Hong Kong. As a former student leader, he has been chairman of the Representative Council of the Lingnan University Students' Union (LUS ...

, the youngest elected Legislative Council member, was disqualified by a judge for taking the oath insincerely. Fewer and fewer young people remembered or attended the annual June Fourth Tienanmen commemoration each year. The 2016 Mongkok Civil Unrest, also known as " Fishball Revolution", markedly show the impatience of

people after nearly 20 years of fighting for democracy and the beginning of a more violent clashing with authorities. However, hill-top vertical protest banners continue to surprise, reigniting people's desire to true dual universal suffrage: voting rights to both Hong Kong's Chief Executive and Legislative Council.

2014

= December 15, 2014 Victoria Peak

= The day following the cleanup Hong Kongers woke up to two large hill-top vertical banners one hung on

Victoria Peak Victoria Peak is a hill on the western half of Hong Kong Island. It is also known as Mount Austin, and locally as The Peak only generally. With an elevation of , it is the highest hill on Hong Kong Island, ranked 29 in terms of elevation in Ho ...

of Hong Kong Island, another one reportedly in Kowloon. The one found over

was the usual yellow-with-black font with an umbrella symbol reminding

citizens to "Never Forget Our Origin" (「勿忘初衷」). The banner in Kowloon was never located by firefighters.

= December 28, 2014 Devil's Peak

= A 20-meter yellow banner with a new phrase "Hong Kong Add Oil" (「香港加油」) in Chinese characters was found on Devil's Peak in

Lei Yue Mun Lei Yue Mun is a short channel in Hong Kong. It lies between Junk Bay and Victoria Harbour, separating Kowloon and Hong Kong Island. The channel is an important passage for the city, forming the eastern entrance of Victoria Harbour. The land ...

(Yuan Tong) area.

2015

= June 23, 2015 Hong Kong - Macau Ferry Terminal in Sheung Wan

= Not all vertical protest banners are political; some could be personal. A man climbed up to the top of the pedestrian bridge connecting the Terminal with

Shun Tak Centre Shun Tak Centre () is a commercial and transport complex on the northern shore of Hong Kong Island in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong. It comprises a 4-storey podium containing a shopping centre and car park, two 38-storey office towers, and the Hong ...

and dropped a white banner with black and red fonts. The wordings were blurred by the news agency possibly due to profanity, as the man accused a Macau company and real estate developer of fraud.

= September 28, 2015 Lion Rock

= On this one-year anniversary of the

woke up to another yellow hill-top banner that reads "Dare Not Forget Our Origin" (「毋忘初衷」). The Chinese character in this banner that translated to "not" was a different Chinese character used in the December 15, 2014 banner.

2016

= March 19, 2016 Hong Kong West Kowloon Rail Terminal

= With the high-speed rail project going on for the 6th year and billions of dollars overbudget and years of delay, anti-high-speed rail activists climbed up to a crane located at the terminal construction site. The two green banners stated "Reject Single Checkpoint For Two Regions" (「反一地兩檢」) and "Stop Rail Construction" (「停建高鐵」).

= May 17, 2016 Beacon Hill, Tseung Kwan O, Tsing Yi, and Lantau Island

Zhang Dejiang Zhang Dejiang (; born 4 November 1946) is a Chinese retired politician. He served as the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the 12th National People's Congress, roughly the equivalent of a speaker of parliament in other countries between ...

was the first Beijing figure visiting

since the conclusion of the

. The three-day visit was greeted by heavy police presence and at least four vertical banners reflecting Hong Kong citizens' demands of China. A smaller yellow-with-black-font banner was unfurled from a residential unit in

Tseung Kwan O Tseung Kwan O New Town is one of the nine new towns in Hong Kong, built mainly on reclaimed land in the northern half of Junk Bay (known as Tseung Kwan O in Chinese/Cantonese language) in southeastern New Territories, after which it is named ...

that read "We Demand Genuine Universal Suffrage" (「我要真普選」). Although there were reports of police camping out overnight to prevent the incident, nevertheless a bigger vertical banner, also yellow with black font, was hung from Beacon Hill, the steep hill next to

. The group

League of Social Democrats The League of Social Democrats (LSD) is a social democratic party in Hong Kong. Chaired by Chan Po-ying, wife of Leung Kwok-hung, it positions itself as the radical wing of the pro-democracy camp and stresses on "street actions" and "parliame ...

(LSD) claimed responsibility for this banner that read "We Demand True Universal Suffrage" (「我要真普選」), calling it a "souvenir" for Zhang. As the day continued, LSD put out a second vertical protest banner near the

Hong Kong International Airport Hong Kong International Airport is Hong Kong's main airport, built on reclaimed land on the island of Chek Lap Kok, Hong Kong. The airport is also referred to as Chek Lap Kok International Airport or ''Chek Lap Kok Airport'', to distinguish ...

as a "welcome" sign to Zhang. This banner is black with white fonts, and it stated "End Chinese Communist Tyranny" (「結束中共專政」 ). As the official caravan continued its way into the city, a black vertical banner "Retract August 31 Decision" (「撤回八三一決定」) and a "Universal Suffrage for China" (「全國落實普選」) banner were seen flying along the Tsing-Ma Bridge.

= June 3, 2016 Beacon Hill

= Ahead of the annual 1989 June 4 Tienanmen Square Massacre vigil the pro-democracy political party

once again erected a vertical protest banner calling

citizens to remember those who died fighting for democracy under Communist China regime. The banner was white with black font, and the words showed "June 4 Never Forget. See You In Victoria Park" (「毋忘六四維園見」).

= July 13, 2016 Hong Kong Shue Yan University (HKSYU)

= As graduating high school seniors began applying for university admission,

Hong Kong Shue Yan University Hong Kong Shue Yan University (HKSYU or SYU) is a private liberal-arts university on Braemar Hill, North Point, Hong Kong. Founded in 1971 as Hong Kong Shue Yan College () by Henry Hu and Chung Chi-yung, it was unilaterally recognised as the ...

was found to have multiple blue vertical protest banners hanging on building and lampposts around campus urging students to not apply to this substandard university. The red letters read "Shue Yan Life Regret" (「入樹仁悔終生」).

= September 28, 2016 Devil's Peak in Lei Yue Mun

= On the second anniversary of the

put up a 6-meter "We Demand Genuine Universal Suffrage" (「我要真普選」) banner at Devil's Peak in

= October 1, 2016 all university campuses in Hong Kong

= October 1 is China's National Day, which is also a holiday for celebrations and traditionally no students were on school grounds. However, in a move seen as defiance against China nationalism, a red fabric demanding "Hong Kong Independence" (「香港獨立」)in white font appeared in every single university and college in

. The banners were in both Chinese and English. It was reported that a total of 15 higher education campuses saw these banners, some even had a second matching banner with "

Hong Kong National Party The Hong Kong National Party was a localist political party in Hong Kong. It was the first political party in Hong Kong to advocate for Hong Kong independence. The Hong Kong National Party is also the first political party to be outlawed since ...

" (「香港民族黨」), presumably claiming responsibility of the move. Universities were quick to remove the banners, and no action was taken against those who erected the banners. Two years later, slightly before 2018's national holiday,

was banned by Hong Kong government citing national security threat.

= November 24, 2016 Lingnan University in Tuen Mun

= Before graduation

Lingnan University Lingnan University (LN/LU), formerly called Lingnan College, is a public liberal arts university in Hong Kong. It aims to provide students with an education in the liberal arts tradition and has joined the Global Liberal Arts Alliance since ...

students protested how students had no say in any university affairs, and how the Chief Executive of Hong Kong had access and power so matter-of-factly. The students demanded that the university terminate the current school board governor and remove chief executive as chancellor. They also demanded more student participation and voice. The banner was black with white font and was hung at the main atrium of campus. The eight Chinese words stated: "University Self-Governing Must Be Matter-Of-Fact" (「大學自治，天經地義」).

2017

= July 1, 2017 Causeway Bay

= Even as universal suffrage was not realized after the

pro-democracy fighters were not deterred to voice their opposition to the Chinese government.

Chinese Communist Party The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), officially the Communist Party of China (CPC), is the founding and sole ruling party of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Under the leadership of Mao Zedong, the CCP emerged victorious in the Chinese Civil ...

general secretary

Xi Jinping Xi Jinping ( ; ; ; born 15 June 1953) is a Chinese politician who has served as the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), and thus as the paramount leader of China, ...

had just left Hong Kong after a 3-day visit, and within hours

citizens took to the street to begin their annual July 1 mass protest again Chinese suppression. Where China silenced dissidents and even imprisoned them,

has always been a free place to protest, as guaranteed by the Basic Law. However, the number of participants seemed to be the lowest among past rallies, and participants witnessed a pro-democracy journey split between the young and the old. Where the young Hong Kongers carried vertical protest banners demanding self-determination and

independence, and older generation demanded the release of Chinese pro-democracy activist and 2010

Nobel Peace Prize The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Swedish industrialist, inventor and armaments (military weapons and equipment) manufacturer Alfred Nobel, along with the prizes in Chemistry, Physics, Physiolog ...

winner Liu Xiaobo. Since his participation in the 1989 June Fourth Tienanmen Square Massacre, Liu has been threatened and repeatedly imprisoned by the Chinese authorities since 1991. A vertical protest banner was carried along the July 1st march with Liu's face painted in color and the words "Immediately Free Liu Xiao Bo" (「立即釋放劉曉波」). 13 days later, on July 13, 2017, Liu passed away in prison.

= August 20, 2017 Wan Chai

= Thousands took to the streets today to stand in solidarity of the three young pro-democracy activists jailed for their involvement in the

3 years prior. The three young activists were

Joshua Wong Joshua Wong Chi-fung (; born 13 October 1996) is a Hong Kong activist and politician. He served as secretary-general of the pro-democracy party Demosistō until it disbanded following the implementation of the Hong Kong national security la ...

, and

Alex Chow Alex Chow Yong-kang (; born 18 August 1990) is a social activist from Hong Kong and current doctoral candidate in geography at the University of California, Berkeley.

= December 30, 2017 Lion Peak

= From around this time on the usual "We Demand True Universal Suffrage" (「我要真普選」) was no longer used, as if the protesters have given up on the demand after years of fighting. More than a year has past since the last hill-top banner was unfurled. This 2017 30-meter yellow vertical protest banner had a new slogan: "Safeguard Hong Kong" (「守護香港」), written in black font.

= December 31, 2017 Beacon Hill

= Immediately following the day prior, another "Safeguard Hong Kong Rally on January First" (「守護香港元旦遊行」) was hung on Beacon Hill. The New Year Day marches have been a Hong Kong fixture since 2010, when a Beijing politician lay out the Basic Law guaranteed Hong Kong universal suffrage of chief executive election in 2017 and Legislative Council election in 2020. However, empty Beijing promises were not realized and Hong Kong people continued to take to the streets, and take to the hills, to show their discontent.

2018

= February 5, 2018 Wan Chai

= This black-with-white-font vertical protest banner was put up by

Demosisto Demosisto (stylised Demosistō) () was a pro-democracy political organisation established on 10 April 2016 as a political party. It was led by Joshua Wong and Agnes Chow – former leaders of Scholarism, along with Nathan Law, former secre ...

, a pro-democracy group with which three legislative council election candidates were disqualified by the Hong Kong government. The banner stated: "Refuse DQ, Return Voting Rights" (「不要 DQ，還我選舉權」).

= February 11, 2018 Central

= In this protest march various newly emerged Hong Kong localist groups called for Hong Kong Secretary of Justice Teresa Cheung to step down. This black-with-white-font vertical banner demanded "Cheng Yeuk-wah Step Down" (「鄭若驊下台」). Reasons to call for her resignation included her interference with Legislative Council Election that ended with multiple young pro-democracy candidates being disqualified, and the alleged illegal constructions and additions to various properties under her name.

= March 8, 2018 Beacon Hill

= In response to the disqualification of legislative council election candidates a make-up election was about to take place on March 11. Pro-democracy political group

put out this yellow banner with black font calling

voters to "Reject DQ, Let's Vote" (「反DQ齊投票」).

= May 31, 2018 Pui Ching Middle School, Kowloon City

= While Pui Ching School official told newspapers that they has been hanging this banner for the last 10 years, nobody seemed to be paying much attention until now. Student council has always received approval from the school authorities before hanging up the banner. The banner was printed on black fabric with white painted Chinese characters that showed "Dare Not Forget June Fourth" (「毋忘六四」). The school continued to explain that if the banner stated "Redress June Fourth" (「平反六四」) then the school might consider rejecting the approval as this became a political slogan demanding actions.

= September 29, 2018 Beacon Hill

= On the fourth anniversary of the

a commemorative banner was found hanging on Beacon Hill. This smaller banner, about eight meters long, stated "Against Article 23" (「反23條」), the national security law.

2019-20 Hong Kong Protests

The hill-top vertical protest banners have become more creative and the message more dire as the anti-extradition bill protests became more intense and violent. As days became months, the frequency of banner appearances also increased dramatically within the second half of 2019 as protests continued. However, due to COVID and pandemic lock-down, the first half of 2020 saw few banner activities, until the establishment of the national security law on July 1. In addition, the wordings on these vertical protest banners have also evolved. No longer did the

protesters hang up "We Demand True Universal Suffrage" (「我要真普選」). In fact, this demand became one of five demands Hong Kong government was asked to address. Protest anthem "

Glory to Hong Kong "Glory to Hong Kong" ( zh, t=願榮光歸香港) is a march that was composed and written by a musician under the pseudonym "Thomas dgx yhl", with the contribution of a group of Hongkonger netizens from the online forum LIHKG during the 20 ...

" became the next banner and new protest slogan "

Liberate Hong Kong, the revolution of our times "Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times" (; also translated variously) is a slogan used by social movements in Hong Kong. The slogan was first used in 2016 by Hong Kong Indigenous spokesman Edward Leung as his campaign theme and slogan f ...

" dominated the year's banner content. Lastly, police brutality were increasingly called out by these banners, a sign that reflected the increasing violent and bloody clashes between Hong Kong citizens and the police.

June

= June 4, 2019 Beacon Hill

= Hong Kong is one of a few places that still commemorate those who died in the Tienanmen Square conflict. On this 30th anniversary of the 1989 Tienanmen Square Massacre, someone put a yellow "Dare Not Forget June Fourth" (「毋忘六四」) banner over Beacon Hill.

= June 5, 2019 Devil's Peak

= The day after the "Never Forget June Fourth" banner, yet another 15-meter banner was erected over Devil's Peak. This banner stated in Chinese "Lam Sold Hong Kong; Resign!" (「林鄭賣港下台！」) in black font over yellow fabric.

= June 6, 2019 Lion Rock

= a 50-meter yellow vertical banner was seen on

displaying in black font "No Extradition To PR China" and its Chinese equivalent, 「反送中」.

= June 7, 2019 Various universities

= Five universities in Hong Kong jointly displayed various vertical and horizontal protest banners to protest the extradition bill. Hong Kong City University (CityU) was a vertical protest banner in black that read "CityU Against Extradition To China" (「城大人反送中」).

= June 9, 2019 Wan Chai

Foo Tak Building Banner 20190609-combine

This mass protest against the anti-extradition bill marked the beginning of a series of struggle in the next years to come. Almost over one million in attendance marching for 3 km from

. The banners found in

Wan Chai Wan Chai is situated at the western part of the Wan Chai District on the northern shore of Hong Kong Island, in Hong Kong. Its other boundaries are Canal Road to the east, Arsenal Street to the west and Bowen Road to the south. The area n ...

were hung from windows of residential flats. The three banners used sophisticated Chinese literary techniques to call for a stronger fight for freedom. From left to right, they can be roughly translated as "Those Who Sell Hong Kong To Extradition Will Not End Well" (「送中港賊港終送」), "Against Extradition, Oppose Evil Law; Every One's Responsibility" (「反送中抗惡法人人有責」), and "Defend Our Freedom to Not Live In Fear" (「捍衛免於恐懼的自由」).

= June 15, 2019 Lion Rock

= A new phrase on a 30-meter vertical banner was seen on

at around 6 am. The fabric was yellow, but this time a few of the words were printed red. The banner demanded "Safeguard Hong Kong" (「保衞香港」) in Chinese, with the word "safeguard" in red, followed by an English phrase "Fight for HK" with the word "fight" in red.

= June 16, 2019 Wan Chai

The record-breaking two million protesters marching along

would see these two black vertical protest banners with white fonts calling Hong Kong citizens to "No Retreat, No Disperse! No Surrender! Condemn June 12 Police Violence" (「不撤不散！不妥協！譴責612暴力鎮壓！」). Other vertical protest banners seen in this rally included a two sets of couplets. One stated "Lam And Pro-China Camp Ruins Hong Kong; Dads and Moms Together Resist" (「林鄭建制亂香港」「爸爸媽媽齊反抗」) and the other "Mourning In Pain; Withdraw The Diabolical Bill" ((「痛心疾首」) 「撤回惡法」 ).

= June 18, 2019 New Town Plaza in Sha Tin and Central

= In Sha tin, this black fabric with white font vertical protest banner was written in ancient literary Chinese phrase that roughly stated "Why Threaten The People With Death When the People Do Not Fear Death" (「民不畏死奈何以死懼之」). At night, a mass protest march saw almost one million marchers on the streets demanding the withdrawal of the extradition bill. Four black vertical protest banners appeared in this protest with white, hand-written Chinese characters, were couplets. They read: "Law and Order: No Extradition. Protests And Demonstrations Are Not Riots" (「誓守法治反送中示威抗議非暴動」) and "Shame on Police Brutality, Immediately Release the Arrested" (「警察暴力濫權可恥即時釋放被捕人士」).

= June 26, 2019 Police Headquarter in Wan Chai

= The white "Release All Activists" (「釋放義士」) was noticeably more last-minute than most other vertical protest banners. The banner was hung at around midnight as protesters stormed to Police Headquarter demanding the release of protesters unjustly detained or arrested.

July

= July 1, 2019 Legislative Council, Admiralty and Devil's Peak

Hanging vertical protest banners indoor has not been frequently attempted in the past few years as fewer people would see the words and their message. The storming of the Legislative Council was one of the key incidents that set the course of the 2019 protests. The four black vertical protest banners were the same ones used on the mass rally on June 18: "Law and Order: No Extradition. Protests And Demonstrations Are Not Riots" (「誓守法治反送中示威抗議非暴動」) and "Shame on Police Brutality, Immediately Release the Arrested" (「警察暴力濫權可恥即時釋放被捕人士」). Earlier in the day, Devil's Peak saw a white vertical protest banner with words roughly translated into "Mourning in Pain" (「痛心疾首」).

= July 13–14, 2019 Sha Tin

= In addition to hanging vertical protest banners on hills and outside of buildings, Hong Kong protesters also use boats to showcase their vertical protest message horizontally moving along the river. A group called "Shatin Commons" claimed responsibility for hiring a boat on

Shing Mun River The Shing Mun River or Shing Mun River Channel is a river in Sha Tin, Hong Kong. History The original Shing Mun River began at Needle Hill, and flowed into the former Tide Cove (Sha Tin Hoi), a shallow bay. In the 1970s, Tide Cove was recla ...

to showcase their white-font-on-black fabric demanding the government to "Withdraw The Bill" (「撤回惡法」). The following day, Sha Tin residents organized a protest carrying two black-and-white contrasting banners: the white banner with black words stated "Mourning In Pain"(「痛心疾首」) and the black banner with white words demanded "Withdraw The Diabolical Bill" (「撤回惡法」 ).

= July 17, 2019 Central

Thousands of Hong Kong elderly men and women, affectionately known as "silver-hair clan", organized a mass rally to support young front-line Hong Kong activists and denounced police brutality. Their black-with-white fonts banner carried by marchers horizontally along the rally stated "Against Structural Violence; We Demand Genuine Universal Suffrage" (「反對制度暴力我要真普選」).

= July 21, 2019 Central

Demonstration against extradition bill in Causeway Road 20190721

This protest was organized by several social worker associations condemning the government's lack of response to the people's demands, causing harm, injuries, arrests, and, indirectly, deaths of Hong Kong citizens. Approximately 4000 social workers participated in this silent march as they carried large vertical banners blaming the Chief Executive Carrie Lam for turning a blind eye to social unrest caused by her inaction. Separately, thousands of protesters also marched from

to Central demanding independent investigation on the police. A white banner with words " Independent Investigation. Defend the Law. Safeguard The Truth" (「獨立調查、捍衛法制、守護真相」).

August

= August 1–5, 2019 Sha Tin

Incendo IMG 20190805 153805 (48487457776)

Trying to increase participation of the general strike on August 5, Sha Tin residents unfurled a series of vertical protest banners throughout the week inside

New Town Plaza New Town Plaza is a shopping mall in the town centre of Sha Tin, Hong Kong. Developed by Sun Hung Kai Properties, it was the biggest shopping centre in the New Territories when it was completed in the early 1980s. Covering 200,000 square metre ...

. On August 1, two giant black and white fabric banners were hung from the second floor. The white banner with black words stated "Mourning In Pain"(「痛心疾首」) and the black banner with white words demanded "Withdraw The Diabolical Bill" (「撤回惡法」 ). There were probably the same pair of banners saw earlier in Sha Tin on July 14.

= August 5, 2019 Admiralty

Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times "Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times" (; also translated variously) is a slogan used by social movements in Hong Kong. The slogan was first used in 2016 by Hong Kong Indigenous spokesman Edward Leung as his campaign theme and slogan fo ...

" (「光復香港，時代革命」) was written both in Chinese and in English in black font over white fabric on this day of the "general strike", one of the many protest tactics used to pressure the government to respond to Hong Kong citizens' five demands. Thousands took to the streets in various parts of Hong Kong as they called in sick for work. Hundreds of protesters also trekked into the Hong Kong International airport. Together, hundreds of flights were cancelled, and traffic throughout Hong Kong was paralyzed.

= August 9–11, 2019 Hong Kong Airport

= The "Occupy Airport" tactic drew thousands of Hong Kong citizens to the Hong Kong International Airport in the midst of summer travel season. The vertical protest banner seen here appeared to be the "upgraded" version of the same one hung over Admiralty five days ago, showing "

" (「光復香港，時代革命」) with a colorful post-it-memos backed " Lennon Wall" border.

= August 18, 2019 Admiralty

During the day, over one million Hong Kong citizens marched in the rain to protest on-going police brutality. This marked the 7th mass protest since June. The banner bore the same title as the theme of this rally: "Stop Police Brutality; Grant Us Five Demands"「煞停警黑亂港落實五大訴求」. Later in the evening, a banner was hung once again from a pedestrian bridge in

, a popular spot for hanging vertical protest banners since the

. This white-with-black-font showcased four gigantic characters demanding: "We Demand Democracy" (「我要民主」) with a smaller English phrase written below "We Want Democracy".

= August 23–24, 2019 Lion Rock

= The day after the Hong Kong Way human chain peaceful protest event, two black-with-white-font 15-meters long banners were put up over night on

. One reads "Evil Police Brutality " (「黑警濫暴」) and the other says "This Regime Kills" (「殺人政權」).

= August 29, 2019 Beacon Hill

= As the anti-extradition protests continued, more hill-top vertical protest banners were put out to show solidarity with those who were arrested. The yellow eight-meter long vertical protest banner read "Redress Riot, Release Chivalry" (「平反暴動釋放義士」).

= August 31, 2019 Beacon Hill

= On the five-year anniversary of

Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...

's refusal to grant universal suffrage to Hong Kong as guaranteed by the

Hong Kong Basic Law The Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China is a national law of China that serves as the organic law for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). Comprising nine chapters, 160 ...

, two yellow vertical protest banners showed up on Beacon Hill. They were about 15-meters long and demanded "We Demand Genuine Universal Suffrage" (「我要真普選」) and "Retract August 31 Decision" (「撤回人大831」).

September

= September 3, 2019 St. Paul's College in Central

= Students from St Paul's College asked a retired Chinese language arts teacher to pen the vertical couplet banners in support of the anti-extradition bill protest while at school. The poetic literary technique made meaning translation difficult, but they roughly meant "Knowledge Comes From Freedom, Tolerance Unites St. Paul" (「得自由循知識路、容差異繫保羅心」).

= September 12, 2019 Beacon Hill

= The protesters in these clashes were often in black bloc, so a common term was developed by the pro-government camp: "Black Rioters". Contrarily, pro-democracy activists called the riot police as "Black Cops", a term signified the actual black color police riot gear and, metaphorically, police brutality. This banner attempted to reverse the government narrative. Made out of black color fabric, this 30-meter long banner showed the phrase "The Rioters Are None Other Than The Black Cops" (「黑警才是暴徒」).

= September 13, 2019 Kowloon Peak and Victoria Peak

= Three banners were found today separately in Hong Kong Island and in Kowloon. Two banners were erected on

. The longer one was black with white font that stated in Chinese "Begin Independent Investigation" (「展開獨立調查」), referring to police brutality, while the shorter one was yellow with black font that demanded "Sanction Corrupted Cops" (「制裁黑警」). The banner found on

had a dimension of 15 meters by 2 meters. Several Facebook users took photographs of the banner, black-in-white-font, with Chinese phrase "Drop Riot Charges" (「撤銷暴動控罪」)but news outlets did not report the wordings or the colors.

= September 14, 2019 Lion Rock

On this Mid-Autumn Festival hundreds of Hong Kong citizens celebrated on

. They lit up the trail to

with their cellphones as they peacefully sing "Glory to Hong Kong" and chanted demands. In addition to the human chain, a 100-ft banner, black fabric with white font that read "Implement Genuine Dual Universal Suffrage" (「實行真雙普選」) was hung over the

cliff. An outdoor enthusiast identified as Wong said he and fellow rock-climbing enthusiasts were also responsible for the two other recent banners.

= September 15, 2019 Devil's Peak

= This is third consecutive day of hill-top banner hanging. This one was black with white font, demanding the government to "Drop Riot Charges" (「撤銷暴動控罪」).

= September 16, 2019 University of Hong Kong

= This pair of banners could be the first couplet with Cantonese profanity, which was condemned and later removed by University officials. The banners read 「港大建築叫極唔郁」and「香港淪陷仲建乜撚」which roughly translate as "Unresponsive HKU Architecture Department" and "Who The Fuck Builds when Hong Kong Falls".

= September 21, 2019 Beacon Hill

= Another "The Rioters Are None Other Than The Black Cops" (「黑警才是暴徒」) banner, but this one was printed on yellow fabric, unlike the one two weeks ago on September 12, and was written in blank font.

= September 22, 2019 Times Square in Causeway Bay and New Town Plaza in Sha Tin

= While they look relatively small against

as their backdrop, these vertical protest banners could actually be quite gigantic when placed indoor. Today in Times Square of Causeway Bay protesters unfurled from the 4th floor an over-size banner demanded "We Long for

" (「我願榮光歸香港」). Unlike outdoor banners that always ended up being confiscated by the firefighters or the police, protesters today were able to recoil the banner and took it with them. Earlier in the day at Sha Tin, two yellow banners with black fonts were erected inside New Town Plaza. The banners read " Truth Be Told. Vow to Eliminate MTR" (「還我真相，誓滅黨鐵」) referring to the earlier Prince Edward MTR Station police attack on August 31. Nine other white banners with black fonts and three black banners with white fonts were hung from second and third floor of the plaza. The three black banners were a triplet, reading from left to right these vertical protest banners gave a warning of the expanding Chinese power: "Yesterday Xinjiang And Tibet. Today Hong Kong. Tomorrow Taiwan" (「昨日彊藏」「今日香港」「明日台灣」). The seven white banners in the middle are read as couplets. The first two together stated "Knowingly Break The Law, Shame on Police" (「知法犯法」「枉為警察」). The next two read: "Why Threaten The People With Death When the People Do Not Fear Death" (「民不畏死」「奈何以死懼之」). The last three were independent phrases: "Support Voracious Frontline" (「支持勇武」)", "Support Students" (「支持學生」), "Support Peaceful Logical Non-Violent Protesters" (「支持和理非」). The couplet on the third floor read: "Everybody Longs For Democracy and Freedom" (「民主自由」「人所追求」).

= September 23, 2019 Beacon Hill

= This yellow banner has the phrase "Disband the Police" (「解散警隊」) written in black and a red check symbol at the end.

= September 24, 2019 Pacific Place Plaza, Admiralty

= Possibly the same one used on September 22 in Causeway Bay, a yellow "We Long for

" (「我願榮光歸香港」) banner was unfurled from the third floor inside of Pacific Place in

. Protesters again were able to collect this banner for later use.

= September 27, 2019 Central, Lion Rock, and Beacon Hill

= Thousands gathered at

Edinburgh Place Edinburgh Place is a public square in Central, Hong Kong, adjacent to the Victoria Harbour. The Hong Kong City Hall is located in the square. In addition, the Edinburgh Place Ferry Pier and Queen's Pier were also located in the square before t ...

in Central to show solidarity against police torture of captured protesters. This banner was hung from the roof and lie horizontally on the ground. The banner read "

" (「光復香港，時代革命」). Earlier in the day, four individuals climbed to Lion Rock and unfurled two vertical protest banners in blue fabric and white paint that read "God Kill Communist China; Annihilate The Entire Party" (「天滅中共　全黨死清光」). Not further from Lion Rock, another 40-meter vertical protest banner was hung on Beacon Hill that read "October 1: Celebrate His Mom" (「十一‧賀佢老母」), alluding to the anti-China sentiment Hong Kong citizens felt about the upcoming celebratory Chinese National Day.

= September 30, 2019 Kowloon Hill

= The day before Communist China's National Day Hong Kongers saw an ironic "End One Party Ruling" (「結束一黨專政」) banner on Kowloon Hill.

October

= October 1/2, 2019 Devil's Peak

= On this 70th anniversary of

People's Republic of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

, the profane phrase "Celebrate His Mom" (「賀佢老母」) showed up on Devil's Peak. At the same time, Hong Kong citizens crowdfunded to buy whole-page newspaper advertisements on over nine newspapers in different countries to "showcase" this phrase globally. The countries included

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eas ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

, Sweden,

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

, and

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

= October 6, 2019 Central

= With

Hong Kong police The Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) is the primary law enforcement, investigative agency, and largest disciplined service under the Security Bureau of Hong Kong. The Royal Hong Kong Police Force (RHKPF) reverted to its former name after the t ...

repeatedly, sometimes on camera, beating and delaying rescue,

citizens took to the street with a black vertical protest banner written in white color: "Hong Kong Police Intended Murder" (「香港警察蓄意謀殺」). With the anti-mask law took effect immediately, citizens also expressed their anger by hanging a black vertical protest banner in

stated in both Chinese and in English: "Our Gov Is Killing Us" (「殺人政權」) P1110711 (48898077051)

= October 10, 2019 University of Hong Kong

= A pair of black vertical protest banners, a couplet, was hung at the main entrance of Hong Kong University accusing the university officials for not speaking up against police brutality, and for not defending Hong Kong freedom. The couplet should read from right to left: "Watching From The Sideline You Ruin Hong Kong's Future. Turning a Blind Eye You Consent to Tyranny's Murders" (「你冷眼旁觀親手斷送香港未來」「你視而不見淪為殺人政權幫兇」).

= October 14, 2019 Central

= The same police brutality banner was again carried along protest route, showcasing citizens' discontent with the words "Hong Kong Police Intended Murder" (「香港警察蓄意謀殺」).

= October 19, 2019 Tsim Sha Tsui

= This massive yellow vertical protest banner with black font stated "Citizens' Faces Masked, Carrie Lam's Heart Enshrouded" (「市民蒙面林鄭蒙心」) showed up in

Tsim Sha Tsui Tsim Sha Tsui, often abbreviated as TST, is an urban area in southern Kowloon, Hong Kong. The area is administratively part of the Yau Tsim Mong District. Tsim Sha Tsui East is a piece of land reclaimed from the Hung Hom Bay now east of Tsi ...

while concurrently four other districts held mass rallies against Hong Kong Chief Executive

Carrie Lam Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor ( Cheng; ; born 13 May 1957) is a retired Hong Kong politician who served as the 4th Chief Executive of Hong Kong from 2017 to 2022. She served as Chief Secretary for Administration between 2012 and 2017 and Sec ...

's refusal to dialog with the people and the recently passed anti-mask executive order.

= October 20/21, 2019 Devil's Peak

= After making its rounds inside various shopping malls in Hong Kong, this 20-meter yellow banner has now made its way to Devil's Peak. The words demanded "We Long for Glory To Hong Kong" (「我願榮光歸香港」).

= October 27, 2019 Beacon Hill

= "Hong Kong Police Intended Murder" (「香港警察蓄意謀殺」) made its way to its final destination: Beacon Hill, where it was then retrieved by firefighters within hours.

December

= December 1, 2019 New Town Plaza in Sha Tin

= On the day a mass protest was organized in

, a total of 16 white vertical protest banners were erected inside the atrium from the second floor of

. From left to right the English translations roughly were: "Never Divide" (「永不分化」), "Never Snitch" (「永不篤灰」), "Never Cut Ties" (「永不割席」), "Withdraw Extradition Bill"「(撤回逃犯條例修訂」), "Release All Protesters" (「釋放所有被補抗爭者」), "Retract June 12 Riot Definition" (「收回六一二暴動定性」), "Enact Genuine Dual Universal Suffrage" (「實行真雙普選」), "Deputize Independent Investigative Committee" (「成立獨立調查委員會」), "Nowhere to Retreat" (「退無可退」), "Never Retreat" (「絕不再退」), "Infinite Police Power" (「警權無限大」), "Hong Kong Got Sold" (「香港被出賣」), "I Would Rather Die Trying Than Live Silently" (「寧鳴而死」「不默而生」), " When Tyranny Is The Reality, Revolution Becomes Our Civic Duty" (「暴政成為事實」「革命就是義務」).

= December 12, 2019 Beacon Hill

= The same yellow vertical protest banner "Citizens' Faces Masked, Carrie Lam's Heart Enshrouded" (「市民蒙面林鄭蒙心」) used on October 19 showed up on Beacon Hill today.

2020

The

COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong The COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong is part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 () caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (). The virus was first confirmed to have spread to Hong Kong on 23 January 2020. Con ...

kept many protesters home as all over the world countries implemented border closure and lock-downs to curb the virus spread. First confirmation of COVID spreading in Hong Kong was January 23. As the city re-emerged from quarantines, and as China and Hong Kong government continued to use this "quiet time" to pushed through their national security agenda, Hong Kongers responded with more hill-top vertical protest banners.

= January 18, 2020 Beacon Hill

= This black-with-white-font banner was about 25 meters long. The Chinese characters showed "Hong Kongers Add Oil; Resist and Avenge" (「香港人加油反抗復仇」).

= May 28, 2020 Beacon Hill

= This banner was the first one written entirely in English. The demand stated "Say No To Security Law". This 10-meter long banner appeared on the morning of the day the Beijing National People's Congress passed the controversial national security law.

= May 29, 2020 Devil's Peak

= This was the second day of the passing of the national security law. This banner was about 30 meters long, and the Chinese characters roughly translated into "Chi-national Security Law Obliterate Hong Kong" (「蝈安法摧毀香港」). The word play on this banner also illustrated the deep mistrust in and disgust of China by Hong Kong people. On this banner, the original Chinese character for "national" (國) was replaced by a more demeaning

homophone A homophone () is a word that is pronounced the same (to varying extent) as another word but differs in meaning. A ''homophone'' may also differ in spelling. The two words may be spelled the same, for example ''rose'' (flower) and ''rose'' (p ...

, made worse by the simplified Chinese character, 蝈, that represented a type of insect such as crickets and locusts in the Orthoptera order.

= June 5, 2020 IFC in Central

= Another "Sing With You" event showcasing for the second time "Why Threaten The People With Death When the People Do Not Fear Death" (「民不畏死奈何以死懼之」) in the familiar black fabric with white fonts.

= June 14/15, 2020 Beacon Hill

= The looming national security law and the pandemic have both resulted in a gradual decline in street protests. However, hill-top vertical protest banners continued to appear unexpectedly. Seen in the early morning, a 25-meter black-with-white font "One Country One System Hong Kong Game Over" (「一國一制香港玩完」) was found hung in Beacon Hill.

= June 17, 2020 Beacon Hill

= A 30-meter black-with-white font banner written in English only "HK Can't Breathe" was found on Beacon Hill. This alluded to the phrase "

I can't breathe "I can't breathe" is a slogan associated with the Black Lives Matter movement in the United States. The phrase originates from the last words of Eric Garner, an unarmed man who was killed in 2014 after being put in a chokehold by a New York C ...

" and the

murder of George Floyd On , George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, was murdered in the U.S. city of Minneapolis by Derek Chauvin, a 44-year-old white police officer. Floyd had been arrested on suspicion of using a counterfeit $20 bill. Chauvin knelt on Floyd's ...

in the United States that caused a months-long protest against police brutality in the US.

= June 22/23, 2020 Lion Rock

= Another 30 meter black-with-white-font but this time it called Hong Kong citizens to "Fight Against Diabolical Law: Head To the Street On July 1" (「七一上街抗惡法」).

= June 30, 2020 IFC in Central

= On the eve of the Beijing-enacted national security law taking into effect, this is the third time Hong Kong citizens saw this vertical banner and this time it was erected in International Finance Center (IFC) in Central. This was a black fabric with white font written in ancient Chinese phrase that roughly stated "Why Threaten The People With Death When the People Do Not Fear Death" (「民不畏死奈何以死懼之」).

Post-National Security Law

Since the establishment of the controversial

Hong Kong national security law The Hong Kong national security law, officially the Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a piece of national security legislation concerning Hong Kong. It ...

Hong Kong citizens seen a drastic decline in protest frequency and scale. Hill-top vertical protest banners also came to a halt as citizens continued to reassess the risk now penalized by imprisonment, possibly for life. More and more pro-democracy activists have fled the city, and more and more protesters, some times even lawmakers, previously arrested were now charged with rioting pending trial.

July 1, 2020 Causeway Bay and Wan Chai

Even though the police denied the July 1st mass rally application for the first time since 2003, over 100,000 Hong Kong citizens took to the streets in Causeway Bay and Wan Chai to voice their dissatisfaction of the national security law and of the decline of Hong Kong's freedom and increased censorship. This banner was the second one that contained profanity: "We Really Fucking Love Hong Kong" (「我哋真係好撚鍾意香港」). This banner was a call to the citizens amid national security law fear, to remember that these protests all originated from the love for Hong Kong. Many pro-democracy art work spawned from this banner thereafter.

September 21, 2020 Devil's Peak

This banner was a response to Hong Kong government's decision to postpone the much anticipated Legislative Council election for a year. The 20-meter banner was printed on black fabric with white fonts, and it demanded the government to "Initiate Legislative Council Election Now" (「立即啟動選舉」).

September 26, 2020 Shau Kei Wan

With 2020's mid-autumn festival coincides with China's National Day on October 1, unhappy

activists erected a 20-meter long black-with-white-font vertical banner calling citizens to "Celebrate His Mom On October 1st" (「十.一.賀佢老母」). The was the second year this profane phrase appeared on the hills of Hong Kong, albeit at a different hill top. However common and colloquial, this phrase explicitly showed anger towards China and Hong Kong's unwillingness to surrender. Last year on October 1, a local

group called "G20" successfully bought full-page advertisements in nine different countries' newspapers using the same phrase "Celebrate His Mom On October 1st". The group, founded before 2019 G20 Osaka Summit, had three goals: to pay tributes to freedom fighters slaughtered and suppressed by Communist China's 70 years of ruling, to bring awareness of the

resistance against China to the world, and to invite the world to stand against China. The countries included

, Sweden,

, and

October 7, 2020 Kowloon Peak

''see also "

2020 detainment of Hong Kong residents at sea by China Hong Kong 12, or 12 Hongkongers, are the twelve Hong Kong 2019–2020 Hong Kong protests, protesters, previously arrested by the Hong Kong police, detained by the Chinese authorities in 2020 on sea after a failed attempt to flee to Taiwan. In ...

"'' On the 45th day of the capture and detainment of 12 Hong Kong residents at sea by the Chinese coastguards, a black-with-white-font vertical protest banner showed up around midnight on Kowloon Peak. The phrase「無理禁錮　釋放12子」roughly translates as "Illegal Detainment; Release The 12".

October 20, 2020 Beacon Hill

A black-with-white-font banner appeared on Beacon Hill. The phrase 「國安惡法自由盡失」roughly means "Freedom is totally lost under the evil national security law".

November 12, 2020 Legislative Council Building

After the four popular-elected democratic legislators were stripped of their council qualification, the entire democractic party resigned in unison to protest the invasion of democracy. The pair of white vertical banners were hung inside the legislative council building, and they read 「林鄭禍港殃民月娥遺臭萬年」. A rough English translation would be "Lam is a national sorrow; specter of Carrie will last for ten thousand years".

December 22, 2020 Devil's Peak

Anti-Communist and pro-democracy Next Media founder

Jimmy Lai Lai Chee-ying ( zh, link=no, t=黎智英, born 8 December 1947), also known as Jimmy Lai, is a Hong Kong busniessman and a politician. He founded Giordano, an Asian clothing retailer, Next Digital (formerly Next Media), a Hong Kong-listed me ...

has been in custody and repeatedly denied bail since December 3. A black vertical banner was found unfurled on Devil's Peak with words "Lawless imprisonment of Jimmy Lai" (「禁錮黎智英無法無天」).

January 23, 2021 Tsz Wan Shan

Hong Kongers put up two 20-meter black vertical banners in Tsz Wan Shan demanding the release of political prisoners (「釋放政治犯」及「FREE ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS」).

February 6, 2021 Kowloon Peak

A 10-meter long black banner with words「蝈安狗吃孩子的血」was found hung on Kowloon Peak, directly facing the Hong Kong Police dormitory building. The phrase can be translated roughly as "Communist Chinese national security dogs are feasting on children's blood".

References

{{Reflist Protests in China Hong Kong democracy movements Occupy movement Protests in Hong Kong Signage Types of flags