The song/poem "She wore a yellow ribbon" has appeared in various forms for at least four centuries. It is based upon the same general theme: A woman of destiny is under some sort of test or trial as she waits for her beloved to return. Will she be true to him? This seems to be the lingering question and the basis for a great unfolding drama.
The song appears to have been brought to America from Europe by English settlers. The origin of the yellow ribbons seems likely to have come from out of the Puritan heritage. It was during the English Civil War that the Puritan Army of English Parliament wore yellow ribbons and yellow sashes onto the battlefield.[citation needed]
"She Wore a Yellow Ribbon"
Yellow Ribbon Ceremony rededication ceremony to commemorate the 3rd Infantry Division's fourth deployment since September 11, 2001, at Victory Park in Hinesville
Yellow is the official color of the armor branch of the U.S. Army, used in insignia, etc., and depicted in Hollywood movies by the yellow neckerchief adorning latter-half 19th century, horse-mounted U.S. Cavalry soldiers. However, a review of the U.S. War Department's Regulations for the Uniform and Dress of the Army of the United States (1872, 1898) reveals that a neckerchief, of any color, was not an item required by dress code. Despite this, neckerchiefs were a popular accessory employed by cavalrymen to cope with the frequently dusty environs. The specific association of the yellow neckerchief with the U.S. Cavalry may have arisen from a work of popular American West artist Frederic Remington—Lieutenant Powhatan H. Clarke, Tenth Cavalry (1888).
In the United States military, the symbol of the yellow ribbon is used in a popular marching song. The first version copyrighted was the 1917 version by George A. Norton, which he titled "Round Her Neck She Wears a Yeller Ribbon"(For Her Lover Who Is Far, Far Away). While he tells in the song about the love between Susie Simpkins and her soldier lover Silas Hubbard, his chorus goes:
'Round her neck she wears a yeller ribbon, She wears it in winter and the summer so they say, If you ask her "Why the decoration?" She'll say "It's for my lover who is far, far away.
The text of the Army version approximates the following, with local variations:
Around her hair she wore a yellow ribbon She wore it in the springtime In the merry month of May And if you ask her why the heck she wore it She wore it for her soldier who was far far away
Far away, far away She wore it for her soldier Who was far, far away
Around the block she pushed a baby carriage She pushed it in the springtime In the Merry month of May And if you ask her why the heck she pushed it She pushed it for her soldier who was far far away
Far away, far away She pushed it for her soldier Who was far, far away
Behind the door her daddy kept a shotgun He kept it in the springtime In the merry month of May And if you ask him why the heck he kept it He kept it for her soldier who was far far away
Far away, far away He kept it for her soldier Who was far, far away
On the grave she laid the pretty flowers She laid them in the springtime In the merry month of May And if you asked her why the heck she laid them She laid them for her soldier who was far far away
Far away, far away She laid them for her soldier Who was far, far away[1]
Forgiveness
In a 1991 speech,[2] former Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints president Thomas S. Monson quoted a story relayed by prison warden Kenyon J. Scudder in a 1961 Reader's Digest article.[3] The story described a man whose family used a white ribbon as a sign of forgiveness.[4] Monson then connected the story to the tradition of the yellow ribbon's use as a symbol of home-welcoming and forgiveness.
"A friend of his happened to be sitting in a railroad coach next to a young man who was obviously depressed. Finally, the young man revealed that he was a paroled convict returning from a distant prison. His imprisonment had brought shame to his family, and they had neither visited him nor written often. He hoped, however, that this was only because they were too poor to travel and too uneducated to write. He hoped, despite the evidence, that they had forgiven him.
"To make it easy for them, however, he had written to them asking that they put up a signal for him when the train passed their little farm on the outskirts of town. If his family had forgiven him, they were to put up a white ribbon in the big apple tree which stood near the tracks. If they didn't want him to return, they were to do nothing, and he would remain on the train as it traveled onward.
"As the train neared his hometown, the suspense became so great that he couldn’t bear to look out of his window. He exclaimed, 'In just five minutes the engineer will sound the whistle indicating our approach to the long bend which opens into the valley I know as home. Will you watch for the apple tree at the side of the track?' His companion said he would; they exchanged places. The minutes seemed like hours, but then there came the shrill sound of the train whistle. The young man asked, 'Can you see the tree? Is there a white ribbon?'
"Came the reply, 'I see the tree. I see not one white ribbon, but many. There is a white ribbon on every branch. Son, someone surely does love you.'"
"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree"
The symbol became widely known in civilian life in the 1970s. It was the central theme of the popular song "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree", Written by Irwin Levine and L. Russell Brown and recorded by Tony Orlando and Dawn (among many others), as the sign a released prisoner requested from his wife or lover to indicate that she would welcome him home.[5] He would be able to see it from the bus driving by their house and would stay on the bus in the absence of the ribbon. He turned out to be very welcome: There were a hundred yellow ribbons.
In October 1971, newspaper columnist Pete Hamill wrote a piece for the New York Post called "Going Home." In it, college students on a bus trip to the beaches of Fort Lauderdale make friends with an ex-convict who is watching for a yellow handkerchief on a roadside oak. Hamill claimed to have heard this story in oral tradition.
In June 1972, nine months later, Reader's Digest reprinted "Going Home." Also in June 1972, ABC-TV aired a dramatized version of it in which James Earl Jones played the role of the returning ex-con. A month-and-a-half after that, Irwin Levine and L. Russell Brown registered for copyright a song they called "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Old Oak Tree." The authors said they heard the story while serving in the military. Pete Hamill was not convinced and filed suit for infringement.
One factor that may have influenced Hamill's decision to do so was that, in May 1973, "Tie A Yellow Ribbon" sold 3 million records in three weeks. When the dust settled, BMI calculated that radio stations had played it 3 million times, or seventeen continuous years of airplay. Hamill dropped his suit after folklorists working for Levine and Brown turned up archival versions of the story that had been collected before "Going Home" had been written.[6]
Original AIDS awareness ribbon
The yellow ribbon was the original symbol for AIDS awareness, before the red ribbon became used for HIV/AIDS from 1991 onwards.[7][8]
The yellow ribbon is the emblem for endometriosis awareness,[9][8] especially during March for endometriosis awareness month.[10] Yellow ribbons are worn by endometriosis patients and supporters, and is a common color for fundraising products. This was established by the Endometriosis Foundation of America in the 1980s, using the color yellow for its awareness brochure.
Microcephaly
The color associated with microcephaly awareness is yellow, as well.[11] Microcephaly is a physical finding consistent with the incomplete development of the head—and often the brain—at birth or soon thereafter.[12] Microcephaly Awareness Day is on September 30.[13]
The Congress of Brazil with yellow lights, showing support for the suicide prevention movement
The yellow ribbon is an emblem for suicide prevention awareness,[8] particularly for young people, and is used for suicide prevention awareness in many countries including the United States,[14] Australia,[15] New Zealand,[16] Canada,[17] the United Kingdom[18] and Ireland.[19]
In Brazil, "Yellow September" is a movement to raise awareness about the problem of suicide in the country.[20]
In the United States, the Yellow Ribbon Suicide Prevention Program is a community-based program primarily developed to address youth/teen/young adult suicides (ages 10–25) through public awareness campaigns, education and training and by helping communities build capacity. The program began in September 1994 after the suicide of 17-year-old Mike Emme.[14][21]
Usage in various countries
Australia
In Australia, the Save Albert Park group has utilized the yellow ribbon as a symbol of protest. The group is a coalition protesting the reclamation of public space in Albert Park, Melbourne for the annual Australian Grand Prix. When the race moved to Melbourne in 1996, yellow ribbons were tied around the trees in the park which were designated for removal. Although the group was unsuccessful in protecting the designated trees, they and their supporters still tie ribbons around the trees each year at the time of the race.
In 2009, the yellow ribbon was used during the appeal for those affected by the 2009 Victorian bushfires.
The yellow ribbon is also used for the Australian National Road Safety Week.[22]
Brazil
In Brazil, "Yellow September" is a movement to raise awareness about the problem of suicide in the country.[20]
Canada
A yellow ribbon, for any symbolic purpose, was uncommon in Canada until the Great War when it was used by mothers and wives of soldiers who were fighting. The ribbon represented a commitment, belief, and hope in the Canadian soldiers.
World War II created a more powerful nationalism and national pride when Canada entered the war. The yellow ribbon began to represent the close ties and strong relationship it had with France and Great Britain, forgiving the countries of all past wrongs and fighting for their brothers and sisters. As the war progressed and an allied defeat seemed imminent, the ribbon represented the close ties the soldiers had back home and for their country, Canada.
On September 11, 2001, three planes were hijacked and were deliberately crashed into World Trade Center 1, World Trade Center 2 and The Pentagon. A fourth plane was hijacked but failed to crash into its intended target, the White House. Nearly 3,000 Americans died. The Canadian Government enacted Operation Yellow Ribbon, to land hundreds of flights bound for the United States and all flights out of the United States. The ICAO announced at 9:40 am EDT that all U.S bound flights, whether over Canada or having had just departed, were to land in Canada anyway for security and protection purposes. Operation Yellow Ribbon represented Canada's connection and ties to America and Canada's commitment to give the American people who were stranded, food, healthcare, and shelter until all was safe and they could go home.
Cuba utilized the yellow ribbon to spread awareness of, and show ones support for freeing the Cuban Five imprisoned in the United States. On 12 September 2013, the fifteen year anniversary of the arrest of the Cuban Five, Cubans marked the day with a massive display of yellow ribbons. The symbol of the yellow ribbon to welcome loved ones home is an image Cubans hoped would resonate with the American people.[24]
Denmark and Sweden
In Denmark, the yellow ribbon has become the more or less official (though not directly officially endorsed by the countries' armed forces) symbol for support of troops in missions. In Sweden, Swedish Veteran Federation[25] and Stiftelsen Jesper Lindbloms Minne[26] is promoting it as a troop-supporting symbol, for both military and non-military personnel on peacekeeping missions. In Sweden the yellow ribbon is also associated with testicular cancer awareness, maybe more so than a symbol for support of troops in missions.
Estonia
In Estonia the yellow ribbon was taken into use on 13 May 2011 after the President of Estonia, Toomas Hendrik Ilves made the following announcement on Facebook: "The families of the seven Estonian citizens taken hostage in Lebanon need all of our support. Not intrusive nosiness but rather quiet and committed support that says: your concern is our concern, we hope and believe together with you. Today, to show this, I put a yellow ribbon on my lapel."[27] The seven Estonian citizens referred to by the President, were taken hostage on 23 March 2011 in eastern Lebanon during a cycling trip.[28] On 14 July 2011 it was announced that the hostages had been freed.[29] The yellow ribbon was worn in person, but also virtually on Facebook. For that, a specialised Facebook App was created for people to automatically be able to add a yellow ribbon to their profile pictures.[27] As of 14 July 2011, 12,671 people had added the yellow ribbon to their profile picture.
Germany
In Germany, the yellow ribbon symbolizes solidarity with the armed forces.
The yellow ribbon is used in many ways, in particular on social media, for demonstrating solidarity with the pro-democracy protestors, and it became more widely used after Hong Kong police fired tear gas and used pepper spray (capsaicin) to dissipate the students and protesters who were occupying Harcourt Road in Admiralty on 28 September 2014, in the 2014 Hong Kong protests. The meaning of yellow ribbon in Hong Kong has also extended to symbolise discountenance of the abuse of violence by the Hong Kong Police against pro-democracy protestors in the 2014 protests.[35]
In Indonesia, yellow ribbon is used as a symbol to show solidarity and sympathy for the victims of the riots and chaos in Indonesia May 13–15, 1998, who were mostly Indonesian Chinese.[36][37]
Starting in August 2008, in the northern Israeli region of Galilee, yellow ribbons were tied to the left side mirrors of civilian cars as a symbol of the hope of the Israelis to free Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit who was imprisoned in the Gaza Strip by Hamas.[38] Shalit was born and raised in the small village of Mitzpe Hila in the area. He has since been released and returned to Israel.
After the 2023 October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, families of the hostages kidnapped from their homes and beds into Gaza launched a project of handing out yellow ribbons on the streets of Israel. Later on, people across the world began to tie yellow ribbons on the streets and on their cars in order to call for the hostages to come back home.[39][40]
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum introduced the yellow ribbon in 2024 as a symbol to demonstrate support for the 240+ civilian hostages, comprising children, the elderly, women, and men, who were abducted from Israel on the October 7 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel, and held in Gaza by the terrorist group Hamas.[41] The yellow ribbon sometimes features the words "Bring Them Home Now." This phrase became the rallying cry to advocate for the hostages' safe return. By 2024, the yellow ribbon had gained global recognition as a symbol of solidarity and support for the hostages' release. There are currently over 130 hostages still being held by the terrorist group, including children and women during this Israel–Hamas war hostage crisis.
Italy
In Italy, the yellow ribbon is worn to support the prisoners of war (POWs). It has been used to support the two Italian marines during the diplomatic crisis between Italy and India.
Japan
Japan's Medal of Honor uses a yellow ribbon to acknowledge professionals who have become public role models.
Kuwait
In Kuwait the yellow ribbon is worn to support the prisoners of war (POWs) missing from Kuwait, during the period from the Iraqi invasion in 1990 until the fall of Baghdad on April 9, 2003. The fall of Baghdad marked the end of the era of Saddam Hussein; afterwards, some Kuwaiti graves were found. On the fourth of July, in speech in Kuwait, the United States ambassador James Larauca pointed out that one of the most priceless reminders of the values of freedom is the yellow ribbon that was held by former U.S. President George W. Bush in reference to the suffering of the families of prisoners of Kuwait in Iraqi prisons.[42]
Malaysia
In Malaysia, the yellow ribbon is used as a symbol of "press freedom".[43][44]
New Zealand
It is also being used as a symbol of solidarity and remembrance for the Pike River miners trapped and killed after the explosion in the mine on 19 November 2010.
The yellow ribbon regained popularity in 2009 as a show of support for an ailing Corazón Aquino. After her death on 1 August 2009, people wore yellow shirts, tied yellow ribbons along the street and added yellow ribbons on photos in social networking sites in mourning. Soon after, it was used by those pushing for Aquino's only son, Benigno Aquino III, to run in the May 2010 elections; it was eventually co-opted by his campaign.
The colour is currently associated with the Aquino family and, by extension, the Liberal Party.
Singapore
In Singapore, the government has initiated an annual Yellow Ribbon Campaign, through the Yellow Ribbon Project, to promote giving ex-convicts a second chance in society. Typically, a person shows his support for ex-convicts by pinning a yellow ribbon on his shirt during the annual campaign held in September. This was probably influenced by its use as a symbol of acceptance in the song "Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round the Old Oak Tree" as stated above.
In Catalonia, the yellow ribbon started being used in late October 2017 as a symbol of solidarity with the leaders of the two biggest pro-independence organizations, ANC and Òmnium Cultural (Jordi Sànchez and Jordi Cuixart respectively), arrested by the Spanish judiciary during the Operation Anubis on accusations of rioting, sedition and rebellion.
The yellow ribbon is also used to show support for former Catalan leaders in self-imposed exile, or flight from justice, depending on the point of view, including the former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont and four other regional Ministers, who had fled to Belgium and Scotland to avoid arrest and to seek broader European support for their cause that never arrived, due to the lack of constitutional consistency of their proposals; as well as Marta Rovira (leader of ERC) and Anna Gabriel (leader of CUP) who fled to Switzerland despite both not being required to appear in court.
Sometimes, the yellow ribbon is also used to show support for other individuals that push for the Catalan independence and have faced legal consequences because of it.[52] That includes Tamara Carrasco, Adrià Carrasco and other members of the Committees for the Defense of the Republic.
The Spanish electoral commission (Junta Electoral Central) has taken the position that the yellow ribbon is a political symbol and has sometimes banned its display on public buildings when an election is upcoming; in 2019, the Catalan government changed a yellow ribbon on a banner on its headquarters building in Barcelona to a white ribbon in response to such a ban. Fifty percent of Catalans are against the use of public buildings to carry out political propaganda for the pro-independence parties, and are deprived of their right to political neutrality of the institutions by the regional pro-independence government.[53]Blue ribbons have also been used in this way.[54]
She wore, she wore, she wore a yellow ribbon She wore a yellow ribbon in the merry month of May And when I asked her why she wore that ribbon She said it's for the Arsenal and we're going to Wembley
Wembley, Wembley We're the famous Arsenal and we're going to Wembley.
The song has particular resonance as Arsenal's away colours are often yellow and blue. The song is also used by Manchester United, with the word 'yellow' replaced by 'scarlet', referencing their signature home colour.
A British charity named the Yellow Ribbon Foundation was founded in 2003 to support military veterans.[55]
United States
Yellow ribbon flown in 1979 by Penelope Laingen when her husband, US diplomat Bruce was held captive during the Iran hostage crisis; among the first of the modern "yellow ribbons."
During the Iran hostage crisis, the yellow ribbon was used as a symbol of support for the hostages held at the United States embassy in Tehran.[5][8] In November 1979, a committee headed by Suzan E. Garrett of the Jaycees ladies service organization in Leitchfield, Kentucky organized a campaign to "Tie A Yellow Ribbon" around public trees as well as encouraging people to wear tied ribbons on lapels in support of the U.S. hostages being held in Iran. She was interviewed on ABC-TV by Ted Koppel on the newly created Nightline late-night news program and later by Peter Jennings for ABC's World News Tonight.
This symbolism continued and gained further recognition in December 1979, when Penelope Laingen, wife of Bruce Laingen who was the most senior foreign service officer being held hostage, tied a yellow ribbon around a tree on the lawn of her Maryland home. The ribbon primarily symbolized the resolve of the American people to win the hostages' safe release.[5] Yellow ribbons featured prominently in the celebrations of their return home in January 1981.
The yellow ribbon saw renewed popularity in the United States during the Gulf War in the early 1990s. It appeared along with the slogan "support our troops", in the form of yellow ribbons tied to trees, and countless other contexts.[5] It often had the implied meaning of "bring our troops home"[8] from the Desert Shield and Desert Storm troop deployments. It appeared again during the 2003 invasion of Iraq with similar meanings,[5] most prominently in the form of a yellow ribbon printed on magnetized material and displayed on the outside of automobiles.
Trademarked logo for the Department of Defense's Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program.
The Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program (YRRP) uses the yellow ribbon in its logo. YRRP is a Department of Defense-wide effort to promote the well-being of National Guard and Reserve members, their families and communities, by connecting them with resources throughout the deployment cycle.[56] An American charity named the Yellow Ribbon Foundation was founded in 2001 to support military veterans.[57]
The yellow ribbon is also the scholastic symbol adopted by universities and institutions which provide student veteran support through the "Yellow Ribbon Program" and represents a matched financial contribution between that establishment and the U.S. Government to cover tuition costs that the normal Post Montgomery or Post 9/11 GI Bill would not normally cover.[58]
In May 2014, the American Veterinary Medical Association released a series of videos about preventing dog bites. One of the videos explained the practice of tying a yellow ribbon to a dog's leash to indicate the dog did not like strangers.[59]
The white ribbon is an awareness ribbon sometimes used by political movements to signify or spread their beliefs. It is usually worn on garments or represented in information sources such as posters, leaflets, etc.
Political colours are colours used to represent a political ideology, movement or party, either officially or unofficially. They represent the intersection of colour symbolism and political symbolism. Politicians making public appearances will often identify themselves by wearing rosettes, flowers, ties or ribbons in the colour of their political party. Parties in different countries with similar ideologies sometimes use similar colours. As an example the colour red symbolises left-wing ideologies in many countries, while the colour blue is often used for conservatism, the colour yellow is most commonly associated with liberalism and right-libertarianism, and Green politics is named after the ideology's political colour. The political associations of a given colour vary from country to country, and there are exceptions to the general trends, for example red has historically been associated with Christianity, but over time gained association with leftist politics, while the United States differs from other countries in that conservatism is associated with red and liberalism with blue. Mass media has driven a standardization of colour by political party, to simplify messaging, while historically the colour a candidate chose to identify with could have been chosen based on other factors such as family or regional variations.
The blue ribbon is a symbol of high quality. The association comes from The Blue Riband, a prize awarded for the fastest crossing of the Atlantic Ocean by passenger liners and, prior to that from Cordon Bleu, which referred to the blue ribbon worn by the French knightly Order of the Holy Spirit. The spelling blue riband is still encountered in most English-speaking countries, but in the United States, the term was altered to blue ribbon, and ribbons of this color came to be awarded for first place in certain athletic or other competitive endeavours. It also may be applied to distinguished members of a group or commission who have convened to address a situation or problem; the usual usage is "blue ribbon commission" or "blue-ribbon panel".
Awareness ribbons are symbols meant to show support or raise consciousness for a cause. Different colors and patterns are associated with different issues.
The red ribbon, as an awareness ribbon, is used as the symbol for the solidarity of people living with HIV/AIDS, and for the awareness and prevention of drug abuse and drunk driving.
Lowell Bruce Laingen was an American diplomat who served as the United States Ambassador to Malta from 1977 to 1979. Laingen is best known for having been the most senior American official held hostage during the Iran hostage crisis, while serving as the chargé d'affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran.
"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" is a song recorded by Tony Orlando and Dawn. It was written by Irwin Levine and L. Russell Brown and produced by Hank Medress and Dave Appell, with Motown/Stax backing vocalist Telma Hopkins, Joyce Vincent Wilson and her sister Pamela Vincent on backing vocals. It was a worldwide hit for the group in 1973.
The Manila hostage crisis, officially known as the Rizal Park hostage-taking incident, took place when a disgruntled former Philippine National Police officer named Rolando Mendoza hijacked a tourist bus in Rizal Park, Manila, Philippines, on August 23, 2010. The bus carried 25 people: 20 tourists, a tour guide from Hong Kong, and four local Filipinos. Mendoza claimed that he had been unfairly dismissed from his job, and demanded a fair hearing to defend himself.
The Color Orange is an organization established in 2008 by Jens Galschiøt to highlight violations of human rights in China on the occasion of the Olympic Games in Beijing August 2008. The organization uses the colour orange to peacefully bring notice to human rights violations during this time.
Leung Wing-ngan, better known by her stage name Celine Ma Tai-lo, is a Hong Kong actress and singer. She is best known for her role as May May in the long running TVB television series A Kindred Spirit.
The Umbrella Movement was a political movement that emerged during the 2014 Hong Kong protests. Its name arose from the use of umbrellas as a tool for passive resistance to the Hong Kong Police's use of pepper spray to disperse the crowd during a 79-day occupation of the city demanding more transparent elections, which was sparked by the decision of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China (NPCSC) of 31 August 2014 that prescribed a selective pre-screening of candidates for the 2017 election of Hong Kong's chief executive.
The East Wing Forecourt of the Central Government Office, or Civic Square, is an open space in front of the East Wing of the Central Government Complex, Hong Kong, which is located in Tamar. It was once an area where protesters took part in protests and demonstrations. It was closed in July 2014, and reopened on 10 September 2014. For many, it represents democracy and freedom, and a place to express their discontent. It was occupied for a rally opposing the moral and national education school curriculum proposal in August 2012, and during the 2014 Hong Kong protests in September 2014. Since then, the square is closed by the government in order to prevent protests.
Leticia Lee See-yin was an outspoken radical pro-Beijing figure in Hong Kong. She held several positions at various political and activist organisations in Hong Kong.
Art of the Umbrella movement refers to artistic works created as part of the Umbrella Movement in Hong Kong which demanded democracy in the election of the territory's top leader. Most of the physical works of art are located within the three main protest sites of Admiralty, Causeway Bay and Mong Kok.
Cantonese Internet Slang is an informal language originating from Internet forums, chat rooms, and other social platforms. It is often adapted with self-created and out-of-tradition forms. Cantonese Internet Slang is prevalent among young Cantonese speakers and offers a reflection of the youth culture of Hong Kong.
Following the Sewol Ferry sinking on 16 April 2014, yellow ribbons became a prevalent symbol in South Korea, its significance evolving from hopes of return and mourning to activism and democratization. Historically, yellow colored ribbons were used as a symbol of support for military troops in Western countries including the U.S., Canada, Germany, Sweden, and Denmark, its usage mainly signifying hopes of someone's safe return. During the 1980s, the yellow ribbons were adopted in the Philippines as a symbol of democratization, which inspired South Korea to use the symbol for democratization as well. When the Sewol Ferry capsized off South Korea's southern coast near Jindo County on 16 April 2014, the yellow ribbon quickly became a widespread symbol online symbolizing hopes of return of the passengers. However, once it became clear that the victims would not be coming back, citizens began questioning the competency of the government. The significance of the yellow ribbon evolved from symbolizing public remembrance and sympathy to defiance against the government, activism and protest culture, and democratization. As a result of the apolitical symbol's transformation into a political one, the color yellow quickly became a topic of contention. Regardless, tiny yellow ribbons circulated widely all over South Korea, both virtually through social media and physically through portable items and at significant sites. Yellow ribbons, in tandem with other yellow-colored items, came to define spaces of protest and political resistance among progressive activists in South Korea.
The 2019–2020 Hong Kong protests were a series of demonstrations against the Hong Kong government's introduction of a bill to amend the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance in regard to extradition. It was the largest series of demonstrations in the history of Hong Kong.
Activists and artists taking part in the 2019–2020 Hong Kong protests use artwork, painting, music, and other forms of artistic expression as a tactic to help spread awareness about the events that have happened in the city. Individuals who create protest art are commonly referred to as the "publicity group" (文宣組). Creating protest art is seen as a peaceful, alternative way for citizens to express their views without participating in protests. Most members work under pseudonyms to protect their identity and stay in line with the movement's leaderless nature.
In October 2019, the 2019–2020 Hong Kong protests saw a further escalation of violence. It became evident that the protests were unlikely to end soon, and that they posed the biggest popular challenge to Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader Xi Jinping since his ascension to CCP general secretary in 2012. To bring the situation under control, Chief Executive Carrie Lam invoked colonial-era powers to impose an anti-mask law, aimed at preventing protesters from hiding their identity. Observers considered the law, which came into force on 4 October, as a precedent for possible wider use of emergency powers at the expense of citizens' freedoms and in addition democratic rights, as they even saw the possibility of the upcoming District Council elections being cancelled based on the emergency law. The mask ban did, however, not achieve the desired effect, but rather proved a further focal point of protests. In November, the High Court ruled the mask ban to be unconstitutional, although in April 2020, an Appeal Court ruled that it was constitutional in the case of unlawful assemblies.
1 2 Subcommittee on Children and Families of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, United States Senate, One Hundred Seventh Congress, First Session (September 7, 2001). Teen and Young Adult Suicide: A National Health Crisis. U.S. Government Printing Office. p.61. ISBN9780160670909.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
↑ Compilation of what happened in the war of succession (in Spanish). Barcelona: Biblioteca de Catalunya, Ms. 763. ...porque esparcían sus máximas en corrillos y contínuas tertulias desbaratando la pasión, que les hacía vivir ya no bien hallados, al parecer, en la quieta libertad que poseían, porque ya sólo atendían a su aduladora idea de que podían vivir con más anchuras. En esta situación publicaban su parcialidad adornándose con el color amarillo .../... y creando discordias entre las familias alineándose unos a un Príncipe y otros a otro.
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