Winnie the Pooh, Guy Fawkes, Pepe the Frog — these are the new faces of Hong Kong's pro-democracy protest movement. Demonstrators masqueraded Friday night as their favorite characters in defiance of the government's ban this month on face coverings at public gatherings. Protesters in the semi-autonomous Chinese city took a humorous approach to draw attention to their cause as they try to keep up the pressure on the government five months since the movement erupted. Many assumed the identity of Winnie the Pooh, because Chinese internet users joke that the talking bear resembles President Xi Jinping. Others wore Guy Fawkes masks, a global symbol of antigovernment protests. Some became Pepe the Frog, a character adopted by Hong Kong protesters unaware of its association with U.S. far-right extremists.

(Associated Press)