After Sunday night’s violent clashes, Hong Kong’s pro-democracy demonstrations earned a new name: the Umbrella Revolution, so called because protestors are using umbrellas to shield against police pepper spray and tear gas. As the aggressive crackdown by China’s riot police brought tens of thousands of Hong Kong citizens to the streets, the umbrella became a potent symbol of resistance against Chinese repression. Protestors began painting messages on their umbrellas and using them for shelter; artists designed umbrella logos to represent the movement. Here are some of the defining images from Hong Kong’s streets.
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Umbrellas are set up next to the central government offices in Hong Kong on October 1, 2014, a symbol of the so-called "umbrella protests."
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A protester covers her mouth with tape that says "democracy" on the streets of Hong Kong on September 30, 2014.
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Protesters take part in a rally on a street outside of Hong Kong Government Complex on September 30, 2014. Thousands of pro democracy supporters continue to occupy the streets surrounding Hong Kong's Financial district.
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A sign is seen taped to an overhead bridge outside the Hong Kong Government Complex on October 1, 2014.
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Police walk down a stairwell as pro-democracy demonstrators gather for a rally outside the Hong Kong government headquarters on September 29, 2014.
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Hundreds of people gather in front of Liberty Square in Taipei, Taiwan to show support for Hong Kong pro-democracy rallies on October 1, 2014.
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Protesters paint on an umbrella during a rally in Causeway Bay in Hong Kong on October 1, 2014.
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Protesters carry a defaced cutout of Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying, as they protest near the central government offices in the business district, September 29, 2014.
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A student draws the protest scene from an overhead bridge outside the Hong Kong Government Complex on October 1, 2014.
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A man walks along an empty street near the central financial district in Hong Kong September 30, 2014.
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Protesters walk along a street near the government headquarters building in Hong Kong, September 30, 2014.
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A police officer stands guard against yellow ribbons tied by protesters inside the government headquarters in Hong Kong, September 28, 2014.
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Riot police launch tear gas into the crowd as thousands of protesters surround the government headquarters in Hong Kong September 28, 2014.