Tears and Teargas

Sep 28, 2019

Teargas has become ubiquitous imagery. But as HKers learn to live with gas seeping into our homes & everyday lives, our art still cries out - this is not normal, cannot be normal, that we must find a way out of the fog. 1/7

Almost all art of our frontline feature teargas. While the most iconic pics from UM were of HKers standing defiantly in the gas, this time they’re of ‘braves’ fighting back - lobbing those infernal canisters back at HKPF, with rackets and some great overarm throwing skills. 2/7

Our baptism by teargas 5yrs ago also meant HKers came prepared this time. As early as mid-June, there was already art/material on how to deal with and put out tg. They look like instructions on how to scrub one’s bathtub. Only of course, they’re actually all about resistance 3/7

These pamphlets spread as the HKPF began to fire teargas with wild abandon around residential areas. It seeped into elderly homes. It made our pets ill. It affected HKers who were just walking home. It even made our gods cry, when HKPF fired near various temples. 4/7

Teargas’ ability to find a way into all aspects of life means it’s become a symbol of white terror. Over the last few mths, HKers discovered institutions like CX, MTR, HSBC etc now actively suppress political dissent. In our art, the mist is everywhere, and there’s no escape. 5/7

But no matter how many have become desensitised to the sight of teargas, our art screams - this is not normal. HK kids shldn’t need to know how to put out canisters. Families shldn’t need to gather w/ tears in eyes. Our city shldn’t have to suffocate and die in a fog of fear. 6/7

And that’s why HKers fight through tears and teargas. Our art depicts HKers shining a light through the teargas. It shows HK women (in the orange pic) making their voices heard under a barrage of canisters. Art tells us that our song of freedom will sing through the mist. 7/7

Bonus teargas pictures - like the ones in the thread, all from TG:

Bonus teargas memes, because tear gas is truly everywhere, and humour keeps us sane. All from TG. The one that’s not in English says ‘English high tea/ HK high tea’. (And again, Pepe doesn’t have the same connotations for HKers as it does for those in the West.)