TAIPEI (Taiwan News) -- After Hong Kong students occupied Hong Kong's Legislative Council (LegCo), drawing many comparisons to Taiwan's Sunflower Student Movement, Chinese dissident artist Badiucao (巴丢草) posted an illustration of demonstrators ramming a cart into the glass window of LegCo.
After news broke on Monday (July 1) that hundreds of Hong Kong protestors had managed to break into LegCo, Badiucao created an illustration to commemorate the event. The act of civil disobedience quickly drew comparisons to Taiwan's Sunflower Student Movement, in which student protestors occupied Taiwan's Legislative Yuan in 2014 to protest a dubious trade pact with Communist China.
In this case, Hong Kong youth are protesting a controversial extradition bill that would send suspects directly to Communist China. After failing to see progress on the demand to have the bill completely withdrawn, among other demands, the students smashed a metal cart into the glass door of LegCo and were soon able to occupy the building's legislative chamber.
In the illustration, two protestors wearing yellow helmets, which harkens to Hong Kong's Umbrella Movement in 2014, are smashing a red wall, likely representing communist tyranny. The cart itself contains a giant sunflower, an obvious homage to the Sunflower Movement.
The sign above in black was the sign students placed in the legislative chamber, which reads, "There are no rioters, only a tyranny" (沒有暴徒只有暴政). This is referring to the claim by Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam that the anti-extradition bill protests were an "organized riot," which authorities used as a justification to use violence against the demonstrators.
One of the key demands of the Hong Kong activists is to free protestors who were arrested during the protests and to stop classifying the extradition bill demonstrations as a "riot." Inspired by the protestors' bold act in LegCo, Badiucao on Twitter wrote in English:
"My heart，my pen and my art are with the youth in LegCo！ Sun flower movement in HK! Please be safe!"
He then wrote in Chinese, "Sunflower opens in Hong Kong, there are no rioters, only tyranny" (太阳花在香港开放，没有暴徒只有暴政!).
Students ramming glass door on Monday. (CNA photo)
Black version of the illustration. (Artwork by Badiucao).
Red version of the illustration. (Artwork by Badiucao)
