How an ‘iconic’ Hong Kong demonstrator was used as a symbol for both sides
This powerful image has become a defining symbol in the Hong Kong protests. But there’s more to the story than what you’ve been told.
Earlier this week, a powerful image of a woman screaming at Hong Kong police during a protest rally went viral.
The photo shows the elderly woman, leaning on her walking stick, standing defiantly among police officers dressed in full riot gear with helmets and shields, red in the face from shouting with rage.
The photographer, freelance journalist Laurel Chor, describes the woman as “furious and fearless”, with her tweet of the photo being shared tens of thousands of times.
I got this shot of her yesterday. She was furious and fearless. (@GettyImages) https://t.co/FWDTbzYfDg pic.twitter.com/o8y7W6rG8K
— Laurel Chor (@laurelchor) July 28, 2019
The image of the woman received widespread media coverage. Mashable described her as a “badass alleged grandma”, saying her “getting all up in the cops’ faces has renewed some people’s faith in an older generation”.
Newsweek similarly wrote of “an emotional elderly woman who took a stand between lines of riot police and pro-democracy protesters”.
NowThis, an American media outlet focused on viral content, said the woman “stood up to police in Hong Kong, begging them not to hurt young protesters”.
On Twitter, the woman was praised as “iconic” and a “hero”, with many drawing comparisons to the famous Tank Man and Taking a Stand in Baton Rouge protest images.
Incredible shot! Instantly iconic.
— Info Plzð (@informationplz_) July 28, 2019
My God is this a beautiful picture... (Reminds me of the spirit of another brave, brave woman...) pic.twitter.com/wh2Qa7j2bz
— Vincent Wright ð (@VincentWright) July 28, 2019
What an amazing woman. The people of Hong Kong are awe inspiring
— JJ (@transcended) July 28, 2019
But here’s a plot twist: the woman has apparently become a defining symbol for the pro-China camp as well.
Shortly after the original image went viral, Global Times editor-in-chief Hu Xijin posted footage that showed the same subject screaming angrily — not at police officers, but at protesters:
Hong Kong demonstrators compared an old lady to tankman, filming her confronting the police. But here is another segment of the video of her blocking the demonstrators. Obviously she and many Hong Kong people don't want to see escalation of the violence. pic.twitter.com/xlOflDkcwJ
— Hu Xijin è¡é¡è¿ (@HuXijin_GT) July 29, 2019
In this video, the woman can be seen furiously lashing out at Hong Kong demonstrators, appearing to strike them with her cane, as they attempt to usher her out of the way.
Some pro-China folk subsequently claimed the rioters pushed her towards police, then took her photo to make it look like she was on their side.
Yet, in a separate video, the same woman is seen appearing to defend the protesters from police by using her own body as a shield:
Elderly citizen standing in front of the police line to defense #YuenLong demonstrators. She cried and asked riot police not to fire bullet towards youngsters. https://t.co/CoVW5lJUb2 pic.twitter.com/5qtp04dncv
— Joshua Wong é»ä¹é (@joshuawongcf) July 28, 2019
That the woman was screaming at both sides suggests she was in support of neither the protesters nor the police — but perhaps just in support of the ongoing demonstrations ending altogether.
The demonstrations in Hong Kong have entered their eighth consecutive week. They started as a protest against a proposed extradition bill that would see criminal suspects sent to China, but have since become more widely about opposition to the mainland’s growing political influence overall.
The protest that included the elderly woman came about after 45 people were injured in a mob attack on July 24 at a subway station in Yuen Long, on the border between Hong Kong and mainland China.
It comes as Chinese forces have congregated at the border with Hong Kong, following another night of clashes between police and protesters.
According to Bloomberg, a senior US official who briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity said a number of units had gathered, but it’s unclear if they were security police or part of China’s military.
A total of 44 protesters have been charged with rioting in connection with a violent weekend demonstration, and now face up to 10 years in jail.
In a statement announcing the charges, Hong Kong police accused protesters of “peace-breaching acts”, saying they created “roadblocks by umbrellas, wooden planks, bamboo sticks and railings; pried up pavement bricks, demolished roadside fences, damaged street signs and lampposts as well as attacked police officers at scene with lethal weapons such as bricks and sharpened iron rods”.
Hong Kong protest leaders have called for the bill to be withdrawn.