Echoes of Czech dissent

A recurring visual feature of the protests has been the so-called Lennon Walls, where people have posted hundreds or even thousands of slogans — mostly on Post-it notes — in public spaces across the city.

Their name comes from a wall in Prague where tributes to John Lennon appeared after the former Beatle’s murder in 1980. It evolved into a place where young Czechs expressed support for democracy and aired grievances against the Communist regime ruling Czechoslovakia.

During the 2014 protests in Hong Kong, demonstrators created their own Lennon Wall, papering a wall near the legislative building with slogans. And this summer, the walls seem to have sprouted everywhere, galaxies of Post-its denouncing the police, calling for more democracy and expressing frustration with Mrs. Lam. Some of the displays have been torn down by people who oppose the protests, but they keep springing back up.

“Come together, leave together,” read one Post-it note in Chinese — evoking a Beatles song, though perhaps not deliberately. “No retraction, no retreat.”

A hometown hero

During street clashes with riot police this summer, some protesters have encouraged each other by shouting the phrase “Be water” (or spreading it on Twitter).