Hong Kong (AFP)

Umbrellas, flowers, gas masks: in Hong Kong, many protesters are tattooed with rebel motives, as a sign of support for the protest movement against the local government and Beijing.

"With this tattoo, I will always remember this year when I fought for my freedom," said AFP "C", an employee of the financial sector who wants to be identified by a single initial.

It shows a grin of pain as the ink-laden needle draws a bauhinia flower on the top of its thigh - the symbol of Hong Kong, a former British colony returned to China in 1997.

Unlike the flower on the official flag of the semi-autonomous territory, she refused to be tattooed the five stars drawn in the petals, those who represent the Communist Party (CCP) in power in mainland China.

With this gesture, she says she wants to assert her Hong Kong regional identity vis-à-vis the rest of the country and the authority of Beijing.

Hong Kong has been rocked since June by massive protests against a bill to allow extradition to mainland China.

- 'Courage!' -

And tattoo artists in the city say they have recorded a significant increase in requests for drawings related to the protest movement.

Among the most popular are umbrellas (symbols of the pro-democracy movement of 2014 in Hong Kong), gas masks and helmets (used in front of the police) or stylized calligraphy.

One motif is particularly in demand, that of two Chinese characters that can be read as "Hong Kong" or "Courage!" in the direction of horizontal or vertical reading.

"Getting tattooed shows that you're in control of your body," says Iris Lam, a 28-year-old tattoo artist known for her calligraphy.

A 40-year-old client of Lam wanted to have tattooed scenes of the demonstrations all along her arm. But he decided to wait for the end of the movement.

"He does not want to take the risk of being hit by tear gas or having a sore, it would be painful and complicated to take care of his tattoo if that were the case."

- Free -

If the last two weekends have been relatively calm, Hong Kong has been the scene of an escalation of violence in recent weeks.

The police use tear gas, batons and rubber bullets in front of some radical protesters armed with bricks and Molotov cocktails.

Born out of opposition to the extradition bill, the challenge has broadened into a broader demand for more democracy. Hundreds of thousands of Hong Kong marched through the streets.

"Many people want to remember these events," says Vincent Yau, another tattoo artist. "Getting tattooed is a way to tell yourself that you belong to this great movement."

He said he tattooed most of the protesters for free, as a sign of support.

"Art is a force," says Iris Lam, who also creates pro-democracy propaganda posters.

"It's a strength to spread an idea, to touch people, to inspire them."

© 2019 AFP