Black-clad protesters in Hong Kong, the orange revolution flags in the Ukraine, Green as a Symbol for the political protests in Iran, the colors of protest movements stand for the aspirations of their time.
Revolutionary upheavals in many countries around the Globe have begun as a protest movement on the street: crowds of protesting citizens made their political displeasure against the respective circumstances in your country air. The pictures of the orange color of the sea, such as in 2004 are anchored in the Ukraine, or green ribbons cross through the crowds of demonstrators, as in Iran, until today, in the global cultural memory as symbols of strong protest movements.
Umbrellas against tear gas
Black-clad protesters on the way to the Central rally in Hong Kong in August 2019
Also in Hong Kong, On the one hand, black-clad protesters, the cripple with massive protest rallies at the airport and the whole area of the metropolis has been formed by the growing protest movement a political colour pattern that is long established as the symbol image in the global news:. Black as a color of mourning about the development in the metropolis of Hong Kong.
On the other hand: dressed in white against protesters who demonstrate in protest marches for the China loyalty to the policies of the current government head of Lam. China had promised to London for the Takeover of the former British colony of Hong Kong in 1997, basic rights such as freedom of expression and freedom of the press for at least 50 years in the agreement
Already in 2014, members of the first protest movement, which stood for from Beijing said freedom of expression and, above all, for more democracy, to the streets – armed with yellow umbrellas were. Many of the protesters were arrested, brutally – because of “disturbing public order”. Yellow umbrellas on diving today, only a few of the protests in Hong Kong.
Ukraine: The Orange Revolution
With bright orange posters and protest banners, a civilian protest movement forced in the Ukraine, people of all classes, professions and generations, 2004, the cancellation of a by election fraud, rigged presidential election. Orange was the color of the Opposition, stand for energy, and should settle out clearly against the Red of the Communist Soviet Era. Opposition candidate Yushchenko was defeated – heavy insidious poisoning hit by a home – the Russia-backed candidate Yanukovych in the election campaign, light blue is preferred.
Orange dominated the city of Kiev in the year 2005
Figurehead of this Revolution, which appeared in the streets of the Ukrainian capital Kiev with flags and protest banners in bright Orange, was Yulia Tymoshenko. Initially the people worshiped and foreign politicians, courted, turned out after a short period of time, such as the short-term Prime Minister of Ukraine Populi refined tables inclinations and an authoritarian style of leadership behind their democracy had hidden promise.
Her Aura faded quickly. After several failed attempts to come to Power, ended up you end up in jail. The color Orange is always the color of the coup in the Ukraine. But the euphoria after the orange Revolution of 2004 was short-lived. The political life of corruption, abuse of power and the intrigues of unscrupulous politicians was stronger than the hope for more democracy.
Pro Europe: the Case of the later protests of 2013/14, the protesters carried the national colors
Iran: “The Green Wave” – the Green Revolution
In June 2009, tens of thousands of Iranians, men and veiled women demonstrated on the streets of Tehran and other cities in Iran. They threw the Mullah-Regime, massive falsifications of the results of the last presidential election. The leadership responded with the utmost severity: Defenseless demonstrators were clubbed by the militia, there was a large number of Dead and injured. 4000 people were arrested.
The color of Islam as a protest colour: here in mass demonstrations in Tehran in 2009
But the protest movement was not to stop, for days, the mass continued protests. The color Green was selected for the Iranian opposition movement: it is considered the color of Islam. The supporters of the candidate, Hussein Mousavi known thus publicly to the Koran, to take the strict Iranian customs guards the Wind out of the sails. Especially women and young Iranians went on the streets to demonstrate for more personal freedoms and democracy.
Many filmed the events on the streets of Tehran with your phone. The Iranian film-maker and Director Ali Samadi Ahadi, who fled the scene in 1985, prior to recruitment as a child soldier to Germany, made in 2010 from this mobile phone-Material of the documentary “The Green Wave”.
From Tweets, Facebook Posts, texts of Iranian bloggers and animated scenes that show the brutality of the regime and the angry impotence of the protesters, assembled by the Director, a subjective history of the “Green Revolution” in Iran. The Film was successful at the Sundance Festival/USA.
Portugal: The red “carnation Revolution”
As at 24. April 1974, ran around at 22:55 in the Portuguese radio banned the song “E Depois do Adeus”, was the insurgents in the whole of Portugal is clear that the Revolution begins. Within a few hours of the coup leaders occupied the main strategic points and ministries in Lisbon. The armed forces took over the command.
Folk festival: enthusiasm for the military coup of 1974
As tanks rolled through the streets of the Portuguese capital, they were received of the population of excited and jubilant. Women put red carnations into the rifle barrels of the soldiers. The roll-over feast was transformed to the people. A few hours later signed a partner Caetano makes the surrender of the dictatorship in Portugal was history.
The peaceful coup ended in 1974, the 40-year fascist dictatorship of the dictator Salazar and his followers and successors in just a few hours. But only two years later, it came to the first democratic elections in Portugal, where the socialist Soares emerged as the head of government.
The “carnation revolution” was the beginning of a new, strong democracy movement in Europe: First, the dictatorship in Portugal collapsed, in the same year, in 1974 the military dictatorship in Greece, and in 1975 was the end of Spain’s dictatorship of General Franco. The political structure of Europe had changed decisively.
2018: memorial March for the successful carnation revolution: Yanis Varoufakis (re) and Benoit Hamon