Demonstrators hold umbrellas at Victoria Park, Aug. 18. Photographer: Kyle Lam/Bloomberg

The Essential Tool for Hong Kong Protesters? An Umbrella

September 20, 2019, 4:00 AM EDT

In Hong Kong, umbrellas are more than just protection from rain or glaring sunshine. They have become tools for expression, privacy and self-defense—and that’s made them a staple of the anti-government demonstrations that have rocked the city over the past three months.

The humble brolly has been a symbol of resistance in Hong Kong since 2014, when the city’s pro-democracy protests became known as the Umbrella Movement. Now, Hong Kong’s police force has labeled umbrellas as weapons, and Chinese e-commerce sites like Taobao and AliExpress no longer sell them to customers in Hong Kong.

“I tried to purchase umbrellas and I just can’t” on those platforms, said Kelvin Yeung, a 22-year-old university student who has participated in about half of the marches this summer. “I cannot put it into my basket if the destination is Hong Kong.”

Over the past 100-plus days, protesters have demonstrated dozens of ways to use umbrellas that have nothing to do with rain. Here are just a handful of examples, as well as what some protesters have to say about them. Many declined to give their full name for fear of punishment, and none are pictured.

A Symbol of Resistance

What protesters are saying:
“The umbrella has been a symbol since the 2014 Umbrella Movement, and we use it to protect ourselves. But it gives us power. We stand at the back, but we can donate it to the front. We pass the power to them.”
—Elsa Chan, 30, retail marketing

“The umbrella is very useful in those protests, protecting the people behind you, and absolutely, it’s a symbol.” —K, 24

Six demonstrators walk away from the camera down a busy Hong Kong street carrying umbrellas that read "No Extradition to China Withdraw Evil Bill" in Chinese, skyscrapers and tropical trees in the distance.

A protester in a hard hat holds an umbrella up in the air, standing in front of a barricade held up by other protesters

A protester is delicately placing an umbrella at the base of a hand-painted sign in the vandalized Hong Kong Legislative Council chamber

The Lady Liberty Hong Kong statue is displayed during a rally in Chater Garden. The statue depicts a woman dressed as an average protester in t-shirt, pants, hard hat, and gas mask with an umbrella in one hand and a flag that reads "Free Hong Kong Revolution Now" in the other. — 1. Demonstrators march along Nathan Road during a protest in Tsim Sha Tsui, July 7.
2. A demonstrator raises his umbrella during a stand-off with police in Yuen Long, July 27.
3. A protester beside a banner reading “There are no rioters, only tyranny” inside the Legislative Council chamber, July 1.
4. “Lady Liberty Hong Kong,” an emblem of the pro-democracy movement, stands in Chater Garden, Sept. 6.
Photographer: Justin Chin/Bloomberg

A Form of Camouflage

What protesters are saying:
“It covers our faces because there are many people taking photos of us and sending to the Communist Party, so this umbrella protects our privacy. There are cameras outside the police headquarters, so we want to shield our identity.” –Elsa Chan, 30, retail marketing

“There are some cameras set up to take photos, and we are scared some of them are to spy. Or some people from different perspectives who want to know who we are—to take photos of our face or body features—so they can catch us, because this march is technically illegal to take place.” –Aidon, 18, university student

A crowd of protesters holding umbrellas disguises the identity of a person who is applying tape to cover a CCTV camera.

A protester has climbed up a stone gate outside a police station to place umbrellas around a security cameras to block their view. — 1. A concealed demonstrator tapes over a security camera, Aug. 4. Photographer: Miguel Candela/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
2. A protester hangs umbrellas to block CCTV cameras outside a police station, June 21. Photographer: Vernon Yuen/NurPhoto via Getty

A Shield From Police

What protesters are saying:
“When police show up, they use umbrellas against pepper spray, and when rubber bullets start to shoot against us it can help to protect ourselves. So there’s less damage to us.” –Aidon, 18, university student

A protester wearing a hard hat, face mask and yellow poncho holds an open umbrella as a shield in front of him while standing in the middle of the street, throngs of protesters and press behind him.

Multiple protesters wearing helmets and gas masks crouch down in the street holding umbrellas overhead for protection from possible falling objects

A crowd of protesters wearing helmets and masks hold umbrellas and makeshift wooden shields to block an oncoming cloud of tear gas

A crowd of protesters using umbrellas to create a large shield, as police spray them with a liquid. — 1. A demonstrator pushes a trash bin down Harcourt Road during a stand-off, July 1. Photographer: Justin Chin/Bloomberg
2. Protesters take cover during a clash with police on Harcourt Road, Aug. 31. Photographer: Justin Chin/Bloomberg
3. Demonstrators wield umbrellas and makeshift shields against a cloud of tear gas in Yuen Long, July 27. Photographer: Kyle Lam/Bloomberg
4. Police spray demonstrators with a pepper hose during a protest near the Legislative Council, June 12. Photographer: Justin Chin/Bloomberg

A Bat for Blocking and Breaking

What protesters are saying:
“We are not going to fight the police, but they keep throwing some tear gas, and also the rubber bullets to us, so we have nothing to defend ourselves.” –Alvin, 20, university student

“They start to use upgraded forces and we are forced to upgrade our forces as well to protect ourselves. We don’t want to get caught.” –Aidon, 18, university student

A protester wearing a hard hat and gas mask is using a furled umbrella like a hockey stick to knock away a tear gas canister, as gas starts to emit

Six umbrellas are acting as a barricade to keep a set up doors closed

Protesters break a glass window in an MTR station using umbrellas — 1. A demonstrator bats away a tear gas canister during a protest in Sheung Wan, July 21. Photographer: Justin Chin/Bloomberg
2. Umbrellas block doors inside the Legislative Council building, July 1. Photographer: Justin Chin/Bloomberg
3. Protesters smash a glass window in Tung Chung MTR station, Sept. 1. Photographer: Paul Yeung/Bloomberg

A Means of Attack

What protesters are saying:
“The police call it a weapon, but I don’t think it’s a weapon. It’s just an umbrella....It’s different from the police, they’ve got armor all over their body. You just can’t compare with them.” —Kelvin Yeung, 22, university student

“I don’t want to use violent forces against police, but sometimes it’s necessary to protect ourselves from getting arrested.” –Aidon, 18, university student

Protesters throw umbrellas at police during a stand-off in New Town Plaza shopping mall

A handful of protesters have umbrellas wound up to hit a police officer who has tackled someone to the ground, while another police officer rushes to his aid with his baton drawn. The person on the ground has had his glasses knocked off his face and is holding a walking stick. — 1. Protesters throw umbrellas toward police during a stand-off in New Town Plaza shopping mall, July 14. Photographer: Paul Yeung/Bloomberg
2. Demonstrators converge on an officer who is detaining a protester in New Town Plaza shopping mall, July 14. Photographer: Justin Chin/Bloomberg

And Yet They Have Their Limits

What protesters are saying:
“If you compare the umbrella with the weapon the others are using to attack us, the umbrella is nothing for that. Actually, umbrellas are really easily broken and we only use it to protect ourselves.” —Wong, 30, media

A protester turns his head and shuts his eyes as a police officer deploys pepper spray at close range. The protester unsuccessfully attempts to cover himself with a broken umbrella

An officer on the police Special Tactical Squad pins down a demonstrator on the street, holding down the demonstrator's blue umbrella. Other officers, press and demonstrators are seen in the background. — 1. A police officer pepper sprays a demonstrator in Sheung Shui, July 13. Photographer: Kyle Lam/Bloomberg
2. A Special Tactical Squad officer detains a demonstrator in Mong Kok, Aug. 3. Photographer: Justin Chin/Bloomberg