Lennon Wall (Hong Kong) Explained

Lennon Wall (Chinese: t=連儂牆|j=lin4 nung4 coeng4|first=t,j), in the Hong Kong context, originally referred to the mosaic wall created during the Umbrella Movement,[1] located at Central Government Complex, Harcourt Road, Admiralty. The wall is one of the major artworks of the Umbrella Movement as a collective artistic work of spontaneous free expression, demanding democracy in the elections of the territory's top leaders.

It was a space of encouragement and solidarity, full of colourful Post-It notes (more than ten thousand pieces) with messages advocating for freedom, democracy and universal suffrage. Post types included epigrams, lyrics, poems, foreign words and hand-drawn graphics. During the 2014 Umbrella Movement protests, there were coordinated preservation efforts to digitally document the wall and related protest art.[2] [3] [4] In 2024, an online Hong Kong Lennon Wall appeared which allows digital Post-It type notes to be added via web browser.

After over two months of occupy actions by democracy activists, most of the artworks were removed from original positions prior to police clearance operations. Many protesters and citizens have tried to re-create some of the artworks, especially the Hong Kong Lennon Wall.[5] [6]

During the 2019–2020 Hong Kong protests, new Lennon Walls appeared in numerous locations across the territory, typically near transport interchanges.

Lennon Wall in Prague

See main article: Lennon Wall.

The original Lennon Wall was first created in Prague, Czechoslovakia, following the murder of John Lennon. It was filled with art as well as lyrics from the Beatles.[7] In 1988, a year before the Velvet Revolution, this wall became a way for people to express irritation with the communist regime of Gustáv Husák. Since the 1980s, the wall has been continuously undergoing changes while the original portrait of John Lennon is long lost under layers of new paint.

Nowadays, the wall in Prague is a symbol of global ideals such as love and peace, which served as inspiration for the Hong Kong Lennon Wall of the 2014 Umbrella Movement. During the 2019 extradition bill protests that followed, Hong Kong democracy activist Marco Leung Ling-kit died, becoming a symbol for the movement.[8] [9] Within weeks, artists in Prague had painted a memorial on the wall, with an image of the yellow raincoat he was wearing during the banner drop that eventually led to a fall.[10] Words of encouragement and solidarity were also written, including the famous phrase: "Hong Kong, Add oil."[11]

History

Umbrella Movement

See main article: Umbrella Movement. Police arrested a fourteen-year-old girl for drawing flowers on the wall with chalk, threatening her father with removal of custody, and not releasing her back to her family until 20 days later.[12] She quickly became known as "Chalk Girl" (粉筆少女) when pictures of her drawing circulated on social media.[13] [14] Her lawyer, Patricia Ho, stated that the government response to a chalk drawing was "disproportionate" and that "police are using whatever mechanism they can think of to stop teenagers from participating in any protest."[14] A short film about her story, titled "The Infamous Chalk Girl" was released in 2017.[15] [16]

29 September 2014

The day after the occupation started in Mong Kok, the occupation area expanded from Nathan Road and Argyle Street to Mong Kok Road, Sai Yeung Choi Street and so on. Vehicles were trapped because of the full-occupation of all six roadways in Nathan Road while many bus routes had to be rerouted. Meanwhile, those trapped buses and discontinued bus stops became the place where protestors and citizens stuck their opinions of requesting the stepdown of CY Leung and the slogans to call for universal suffrage, which were written mainly on cardboard and papers instead of post tips, which became the prototype for the Lennon Wall in Admiralty.

1 October 2014

The Lennon Wall in Hong Kong was created by a group of post-80s social workers, Lee Shuk-ching and Chow Chi. They bought post-its and invited people to write down their hopes and reasons for stay after around three days after police had tried to disperse protesters by firing tear gas. The first post was "Why Are We Here?" . After that, they stuck their posts, left their pens and post-its, inviting others to write their wishes. The message board started to expand and eventually colonised the entire wall beside the staircase heading to the Hong Kong Central Government Offices. Following over ten thousand notes being stuck onto the wall, this wall became the focus of media. Since the theme and format were found to be similar to the Lennon Wall in Prague of Czech Republic, the banner of "Lennon Wall Hong Kong" was set on the outside wall of the staircase which turned the wall into one of the landmarks for the occupied area in Admiralty. The banner of Lennon Wall Hong Kong also became the Facebook page created by Lee Shuk-ching and Chow Chi for recording the posts on Lennon Wall later on as well.

18 October 2014

An internet version of Lennon Wall was developed as a historical database to record the Umbrella Movement. Due to the clearance action of police, the originator was apprehensive that those post-its would be obliterated. She decided to create an online Lennon Wall and convert approximate ten thousand post-its into electronic form.

13 December 2014

In the study room of Causeway Bay occupation site, some secondary school students who joined the Central occupation used expanded polystyrene to construct a mini Lennon Wall. As the police had already announced that it would proceed with the eviction of the Causeway Bay occupation area on 15 December, citizens went there and left their heartfelt wishes. It became a scenic spot for taking photos.

20 December 2014

In the stair outside Central Government Offices, citizens tried to rebuild the Lennon Wall. They stuck posters printed with "It is just the beginning", "We will be back" and "Umbrella Movement" on the wall. The staff of Leisure and Cultural Services Development attempted to stop them. Although police noticed their action, police did not take action to interfere.

2019 anti-extradition bill protests

Background

See main article: 2019–2020 Hong Kong protests.

During the series of protests against the China-Extradition bill beginning on 9 June, the original Lennon Wall has been once again set up in front of the Hong Kong Central Government Offices staircase. During the months of June and July, Lennon Walls with similar encouraging messages written on post-it notes and regular paper have been put up throughout the entire Hong Kong. This is referred to as "blossoming everywhere" (Chinese: 遍地開花).[17] [18]

Known neighbourhood Lennon Walls include Sheung Shui, Tin Shui Wai, Sha Tin, Fanling, Ma On Shan, Tsing Yi, Tung Chung, Tai Po, Sai Ying Pun, Shek Tong Tsui, Causeway Bay, Sai Wan Ho, Chai Wan, Choi Hung, Wong Tai Sin, Kwun Tong, Mei Foo, Kowloon Bay, Whampoa, and Tai Kok Tsui, as well as many others on Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, and outlying islands.[19] There are even some Lennon Walls located inside government offices, including RTHK[20] and the Policy Innovation and Co-ordination Office.[21] According to a crowd-sourced map of Hong Kong, there are over 150 Lennon Walls throughout the region.[22]

Lennon Walls have also appeared outside of Hong Kong in the cities of: Toronto, Vancouver BC, Tokyo, Berlin, London, Melbourne, Manchester, Sydney, and Taipei.[23] [24] [25] [11] Messages of solidarity for the Hong Kong democracy movement have also been added to the very first and oldest Lennon Wall in Prague.[11]

Events

At midnight on 9 July, more than 200 police officers equipped with shields and helmets stormed into the Tai Po subway that hosted the popular Tai Po Lennon Walls. Police photographed and removed several pieces of paper that allegedly contained the personal information of an officer who, while on duty on 8 July, challenged a peaceful protester to "remember me, and have a fight with me."[26]

Several Lennon Walls around Hong Kong have been reportedly vandalised within the first few days of being set up. To prevent vandalism, the Mong Kok Lennon Wall is situated at a private property with warning messages to ward off vandals.

On 10 July hundreds of people gathered near the Lennon Wall by the Yau Tong MTR station in Kowloon, after word spread that local residents, suspected of being off-duty policemen from the nearby Yau Mei Court, were threatening pro-democracy youth who were tidying up the wall.[27] [28] Police later arrived, and the conflict persisted for several hours; a handful of arrests were made by the end of the night,[29] including the arrests of two retired police officers for assaulting democracy activists.[30] On the next day, a pro-Beijing middle-aged man was arrested for physically assaulting two victims, one of which refused to defend himself or retaliate, when he attempted to tear the sticky notes from a Lennon Wall near Kowloon Bay.[31]

Influence around the world

In 2019 and after, Lennon Wall installations sprang up around the world in support of Hong Kong protests against a proposed law to allow easier extradition of criminal suspects to Mainland China.

Taiwan

Japan

United States

New York City

Seattle, Washington

San Francisco, California

Canada

Europe

Australia and New Zealand

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Seah . Daphne . Hong Kong Has Its Own 'Lennon Wall' To Show Support For Protests . Pixable . https://web.archive.org/web/20141024005010/http://www.pixable.com/article/hong-kong-lennon-wall-to-remember-protests-85791/ . 9 July 2019 . 24 October 2014 . live .
  2. Web site: Sun . Becky . Umbrella Movement Visual Archive and Research Collective . Medium . 9 July 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190709200207/https://medium.com/jmsc-reports-occupy-central/umbrella-movement-visual-archive-and-research-collective-1a5fb5e5157b . 9 July 2019 . live .
  3. Web site: The Umbrella Archives: Hong Kong artist collective fights to preserve protest art . Art Radar . 9 July 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190709200208/http://artradarjournal.com/2014/10/24/the-umbrella-archives-hong-kong-artist-collective-fights-to-preserve-protest-art/ . 9 July 2019 . live .
  4. Web site: UMAP Digital Archives . Umbrella Movement Art Preservation . 9 July 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190709200207/https://umbrellaartpreserv.wixsite.com/umap . 9 July 2019 . live .
  5. Web site: Hong Kong protesters to rebuild 'Lennon Wall' . GMA News Online . Agence France-Presse . 10 July 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190710041405/https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/world/392274/hong-kong-protesters-to-rebuild-lennon-wall/story/ . 10 July 2019 . live .
  6. Web site: Law . Violet . Hong Kong protesters seek to archive their art, words for posterity . Los Angeles Times . 14 December 2014 . 10 July 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190710164957/https://www.latimes.com/world/asia/la-fg-hong-kong-archive-20141214-story.html . 10 July 2019 . live .
  7. Web site: Geiling . Natasha . Prague's Famous John Lennon Wall: Is It Over, or Reborn? . The Smithsonian . 11 July 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190711201014/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/pragues-famous-john-lennon-wall-it-over-or-just-reborn-180953415/ . 11 July 2019 . live .
  8. News: A Hong Kong Extradition Protester Who Fell to His Death Is Being Hailed as a 'Martyr'. 15 June 2019. Time. https://web.archive.org/web/20190617121634/https://time.com/5607742/hong-kong-protester-dies-anti-extradition/. 17 June 2019. 0040-781X. 1311479.
  9. Web site: Yuan . Iris . Tong . Vimvam . Activists lay flowers at memorial for Hong Kong protester . Reuters . 12 July 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190712054616/https://af.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idAFKCN1U60Y9 . 12 July 2019 . dead .
  10. Web site: Marco Leung Memorial Art @ Lennon Wall in Prague . Twitter CDN . 12 July 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190712034111/https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D_PWvEPUEAAfIZN.jpg . 12 July 2019 . dead .
  11. Web site: Un . Phoenix . Imagine that – 'support HK' messages on Prague wall . The Standard . 18 July 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190718013558/http://www.thestandard.com.hk/section-news.php?id=209751 . 18 July 2019 . live .
  12. Web site: Wong . Vicky . Teen arrested for drawing with chalk on wall at Hong Kong protest site . 31 December 2014 . CNN . 10 July 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190710041404/https://edition.cnn.com/2014/12/31/world/asia/hong-kong-chalk-girl-protests . 10 July 2019 . live .
  13. Web site: Chalk Girl's Drawing on Lennon Wall . Twitter . 10 July 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150108005103/https://twitter.com/Amberbrella/status/550152549387358208/photo/1 . 8 January 2015 . live .
  14. Barber . Elizabeth . The Hong Kong Authorities Want to Take Teen Protesters From Their Families . Time . 10 July 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160617233903/http://time.com/3650889/hong-kong-teen-protesters-chalk-girl-chalktivist/ . 17 June 2016 . live .
  15. Web site: Young . San San F. . The Infamous Chalk Girl . The Guardian . 10 July 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190710052022/https://www.theguardian.com/world/ng-interactive/2017/jun/16/chalk-girl-hong-kong-democracy-umbrella-movement-protester-china . 10 July 2019 . live .
  16. Web site: Young . San San F. . The Infamous Chalk Girl . Vimeo . The Guardian . 25 May 2017 . 10 July 2019.
  17. Web site: Yu . Verna . 'Don't mess with us': the spirit of rebellion spreads in Hong Kong . The Guardian . 13 July 2019 . 14 July 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190714000637/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jul/13/dont-mess-with-us-the-spirit-of-rebellion-spreads-in-hong-kong . 14 July 2019 . live .
  18. Web site: Lennon Walls of Hong Kong: Lennon Walls started to spread all over Hong Kong during the 2019 Anti-ELAB Movement . Twitter . 10 July 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190710064139/https://twitter.com/i/moments/1148560104800817152 . 10 July 2019 . live .
  19. Web site: Cheng . Kris . Chan . Holmes . In Pictures: 'Lennon Wall' message boards appear across Hong Kong districts in support of anti-extradition bill protesters . HKFP . 9 July 2019 . Hong Kong Free Press . 10 July 2019 . https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20190806070911/https://www.hongkongfp.com/2019/07/09/pictures-lennon-wall-message-boards-appear-across-hong-kong-districts-support-anti-extradition-law-protesters/ . 6 August 2019 . live .
  20. Web site: Civil servants join the fray as crisis escalates. RTHK. 25 July 2019. 25 July 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190725150008/https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1470400-20190725.htm. 25 July 2019. live.
  21. Web site: In Pictures: 100s of Hong Kong civil servants criticise gov't handling of protests and Yuen Long mob attacks. Kris. Cheng. Hong Kong Free Press. 25 July 2019. 25 July 2019.
  22. Web site: HK Lennon Wall Map (香港連儂牆地圖) . Google Maps . 13 July 2019.
  23. Web site: A world away from Hong Kong, a 'Lennon Wall' supporting pro-democracy demonstrators springs up in Toronto . MSN . 13 July 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190713141223/https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canada/a-world-away-from-hong-kong-a-lennon-wall-supporting-pro-democracy-demonstrators-springs-up-in-toronto/ar-AAEe1yQ . 13 July 2019 . live .
  24. News: Seucharan . Cherise . 'Lennon wall' on Vancouver steam clock a symbol of support for Hong Kong protesters . The Toronto Star . 13 July 2019 . 14 July 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190714040258/https://www.thestar.com/vancouver/2019/07/13/lennon-wall-on-vancouver-steam-clock-a-symbol-of-support-for-hong-kong-protesters.html . 14 July 2019 . live .
  25. Web site: Tokyo Shibuya Lennon Wall (東京渋谷現「連儂牆」紙牌、人身代牆避免打擾日本人) . The Stand News . 14 July 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190713010937/https://thestandnews.com/politics/%E6%9D%B1%E4%BA%AC%E6%B8%8B%E8%B0%B7%E7%8F%BE-%E9%80%A3%E5%84%82%E7%89%86-%E7%B4%99%E7%89%8C-%E4%BA%BA%E8%BA%AB%E4%BB%A3%E7%89%86%E9%81%BF%E5%85%8D%E6%89%93%E6%93%BE%E6%97%A5%E6%9C%AC%E4%BA%BA/ . 13 July 2019 . live .
  26. Web site: Lam . Jeffie . Lok-kei . Sum . Kang-chung . Ng . Cheung . Tony . Leung . Christy . 'Lennon Walls' spring up across Hong Kong as more than 200 police in Tai Po remove messages featuring officers' personal information . South China Morning Post . 10 July 2019 . 10 July 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190710040815/https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3017943/police-riot-gear-descend-lennon-wall-protest-board-tai-po . 10 July 2019 . live .
  27. Web site: Tsang . Emily . Mok . Danny . Clashes break out over extradition bill at 'Lennon Wall' near Hong Kong MTR station between protesters and supporters of Carrie Lam . South China Morning Post . 10 July 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190710170812/https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3018096/mass-row-and-scuffles-break-out-over-extradition-bill . 10 July 2019 . live .
  28. Web site: Chan . Holmes . 'Lennon Wall' message boards spark neighbourhood confrontations in Yau Tong and Kowloon Bay . HKFP . 11 July 2019 . Hong Kong Free Press . 12 July 2019 .
  29. Web site: Confrontation at Yau Tong Lennon Wall . Facebook . Stand News . 10 July 2019 . video . https://web.archive.org/web/20190710192700/https://www.facebook.com/standnewshk/videos/2912859108755094/ . 10 July 2019 . live .
  30. Web site: Lum . Alvin . Lo . Clifford . Two retired policemen among three people arrested over clashes sparked by 'Lennon Walls', Hong Kong's latest show of defiance against hated extradition bill . South China Morning Post . 11 July 2019 . 11 July 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190711075323/https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3018174/two-retired-policemen-among-three-people-arrested-over . 11 July 2019 . live .
  31. Web site: Scuffles at Hong Kong's sticky note 'Lennon wall'. BBC. 11 July 2019. 13 July 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190713033118/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-48946993. 13 July 2019. live.
  32. Web site: Taiwanese Youth Rise with Hong Kong. Fan. Ashley. 3 September 2019. The Politic. 7 September 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190905013406/http://thepolitic.org/taiwanese-youth-rise-with-hong-kong/. 5 September 2019. live.
  33. Web site: 撐香港！新竹連儂牆不拆除 無限期支持反送中 – 政治 – 自由時報電子報. Liberty Times. 31 August 2019. zh-Hant-TW. 7 September 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190901205948/https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/politics/breakingnews/2902011. 1 September 2019. live.
  34. Web site: 東京渋谷現「連儂牆」 紙牌、人身代牆避免打擾日本人 立場報道 . Stand News. zh. Hong Kong. 7 September 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190713010937/https://thestandnews.com/politics/%E6%9D%B1%E4%BA%AC%E6%B8%8B%E8%B0%B7%E7%8F%BE-%E9%80%A3%E5%84%82%E7%89%86-%E7%B4%99%E7%89%8C-%E4%BA%BA%E8%BA%AB%E4%BB%A3%E7%89%86%E9%81%BF%E5%85%8D%E6%89%93%E6%93%BE%E6%97%A5%E6%9C%AC%E4%BA%BA/. 13 July 2019. live.
  35. Web site: Lennon Walls 'imagine' a new Hong Kong. 28 August 2019. The Villager. 7 September 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190913211931/https://www.thevillager.com/2019/08/lennon-walls-imagine-a-new-hong-kong/. 13 September 2019. live.
  36. Web site: Pro-Hong Kong Wall in Chinatown Gets Vandalized Twice in Less Than A Week. 27 August 2019. Gothamist. 19 September 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190829143305/https://gothamist.com/news/pro-hong-kong-wall-chinatown-gets-vandalized-twice-less-week. 29 August 2019. dead.
  37. Web site: Brooklyn Asians show support for Hong Kong protesters. Paula Katinas •. 18 September. 18 September 2019. The Brooklyn Home Reporter. 19 September 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191003034837/https://brooklynreporter.com/2019/09/brooklyn-asians-show-support-for-hong-kong-protesters/. 3 October 2019. live.
  38. Web site: Anti-extradition Lennon Wall in New York Chinatown vandalised. Dimsumdaily Hong. Kong. 28 August 2019. 20 September 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190920131929/https://www.dimsumdaily.hk/anti-extradition-lennon-wall-in-new-york-chinatown-vandalised/. 20 September 2019. live.
  39. Web site: r/SFEvents – Support Hong Kong Fight Against Extradition Law – Come Build the Lennon Wall in San Francisco Chinatown. reddit. 18 July 2019. 7 September 2019.
  40. Web site: 【逆權抗爭】多倫多都有連儂牆 當地人貼便條表示支持. Apple Daily. zh. 7 September 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190712123912/https://hk.news.appledaily.com/china/realtime/article/20190712/59815650. 12 July 2019. live.
  41. Web site: New 'Lennon Wall' goes up at SFU as tensions run high over Hong Kong protests . 2 August 2019 . . 17 September 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190904144758/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/new-lennon-wall-goes-up-at-sfu-as-tensions-run-high-over-hong-kong-protests-1.5235147 . 4 September 2019 . live .
  42. Web site: In Pictures: A Hong Kong 'Lennon Wall' appears on a remaining section of Germany's Berlin Wall. Grundy. Tom. 20 July 2019. Hong Kong Free Press. 7 September 2019.
  43. Web site: Masked men destroy Hong Kong Lennon wall at Australia's University of Queensland . 7 August 2019 . . 17 September 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190917204710/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/aug/07/masked-men-destroy-hong-kong-lennon-wall-at-australias-university-of-queensland . 17 September 2019 . live .
  44. Web site: Hong Kong democracy supporters to open Lennon Wall in Melbourne . 19 August 2019. . 17 September 2019.
  45. Web site: University of Auckland Lennon Wall 'vandalised' following protest . 7 August 2019 . . 17 September 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190807145048/https://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/114817537/university-of-auckland-lennon-wall-vandalised-following-protest . 7 August 2019 . live .

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Lennon Wall (Hong Kong)".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.