(30 Sep 2019) STREET ARTISTS IN HONG KONG PAINT THE CITY WITH ANTI-GOVERNMENT GRAFFITI
Hong Kong protesters have been turning their city into a canvas of anti-government graffiti as protests continue.
Since June, thousands of protesters have been streaming onto main roads of the city every weekend, as part of a movement sparked by a now-shelved China extradition bill. Protesters have been using various means to spread their messages - from joining anonymous Telegram channels, making posters and painting graffiti, much of which criticizes Hong Kong government and police.
Most graffiti is visible on major roads and tram tracks, overpasses, and bridges. Some, drawn by artists like 'Charm,' are more elaborate and sizable, painted in secluded parts of the city, inside industrial buildings and on rooftops - well away from the eyes of the authorities.
'Charm' is a Hong Kong programmer in his 20s who asked to be called by his graffiti name out of fear of arrest. He said graffiti is a "visual way" for young people like himself to express their feelings.
His own graffiti adorns the rooftop of a building in Kwun Tong. "Who do we call when police murder?" he questions, referring to one of the five demands from protesters - an independent investigation into allegations of police brutality.
Elsewhere, a Hong Kong teenager with graffiti name 'J.I.M.J.A.M.S' has been saving up his pocket money and wage from his part-time job to buy spray paints.
He said it took around two weeks to save up around 2,462 Hong Kong dollars ($314) for his latest message - "Free HK" - painted inside an abandoned industrial building in Tsuen Wan. He said he couldn't participate in the recent protest because of "personal problems" and this is his way, as an artist, to support the movement.
Government workers have been tasked with removing various graffiti around the city by painting them over, washing them off with high-pressure water guns, and covering them over with sheets of plastic if all else fails.
'Charm' said protesters hesitated at using non-removable paint to spray their messages during 2014 Umbrella Movement due to the extra work for cleaners. But now he believes that protesters' "strong urge" to publicly express their feelings outweigh previous concerns.
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