Changing minds one umbrella at a time

STORY BY VANESSA GILLIS

Phebe Leung, a second-year Crafts and Design (Glass) student, is trying to raise awareness for the lack of political freedom in Hong Kong with her community art installation. Vanessa Gillis / Sheridan Sun

Phebe Leung, a second-year Crafts and Design (Glass) student, is trying to raise awareness for the lack of political freedom in Hong Kong with her community art installation. (Vanessa Gillis / Sheridan Sun)

Many Canadian students take democracy for granted. Phebe Leung is trying to change that and make students more aware of the struggles for political freedom in Hong Kong.

Leung, a second-year Crafts and Design (Glass) student, has started the Awareness Project for the Umbrella Revolution in the form of an art installation.

“I chose to do this because I was born in Hong Kong and I’m very worried about the situation there,” said Leung.

The Umbrella Revolution is a movement that began in September when activists, mainly students, protested for real political freedom outside the Hong Kong government headquarters.

Up until 1997, Hong Kong was a British colony. Since regaining power, China’s Communist Party wants to maintain political control, so its nominating committee selects the electoral candidates who will go on ballots. Citizens do not have true democracy and are not able to directly elect the head of their government.

Despite these protests, however, not everyone supports this movement. Much of the older generation is opposed to the protests because they fear they will lose their economic stability.

Leung was eight years old when she moved to Canada from Hong Kong, but she is still affected by the situation because she has family living there.

“Some of my family members are pro-democracy, but some just want everything to be back to normal. With everything that’s going on with the protests, the roads are blocked and stores can’t open up so business are closing down,” said Leung. “Some of my family members are just worried about Hong Kong making as much money as before.”

During the September protests in Hong Kong, police sprayed activitsts with tear gas when all they had to protect themselves were umbrellas. (Tyrone Siu / Reuters)

During the September protests in Hong Kong, police sprayed activitsts with tear gas when all they had to protect themselves were umbrellas. (Tyrone Siu / Reuters)

During the protests, police were spraying the activists with tear gas and shooting them with rubber bullets. All they were using to protect themselves from the assault were umbrellas, which became a symbol for the movement.

For this reason, Leung’s project revolves around umbrellas. She will be asking volunteers to donate umbrellas. They will be removing the material from the umbrellas, stripping them down to the spine and remaking the fabric of the umbrella with any material they want.

The purpose of this exercise is for the participants to “think about how weak the umbrellas are as a defense against tear gas attacks used by police,” said Leung. “So when the participant goes through the process of making it they will have a chance to really think about democracy and the other rights that people are fighting for.”

Leung’s art will be displayed around Trafalgar Campus later this month. Anyone interested in donating an umbrella or participating should contact leungph@sheridanc.on.ca.


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