An exhibition will be launched on Thursday that leverages the spirit of the familiar Lennon Wall to remind people of the Hong Kong protests last year while urging Hongkongers to stay united and continue supporting the democracy movement.

The proliferation of Lennon Walls was a citywide phenomenon throughout the second half of last year. Public walls across the territory were plastered with stick-on notes written by protesters, allowing them to give vent to their thoughts on an extradition legislative bill that triggered the mass demonstrations and to express support for the ensuing fight for democracy.

This month, the phenomenon evolved into the exhibition “Lennon Says,” the brainchild of a volunteer who helped maintain the message boards last year but landed in jail in October for a protest-related charge.

The original idea of the volunteer, who calls himself “Owner of Fat Cat,” is to cheer up Hong Kong people amid a silence that has dogged the social movement for practically a whole year, by encouraging them to turn their grief into the strength to move on, according to one of the exhibition organizers.

A group of like-minded friends and protest compatriots of the jailed volunteer decided to press ahead with the exhibition idea. They interviewed more than 10 Lennon Wall volunteers and would share their stories of pain and perseverance via articles and exhibits during the brief four-day display.

Visitors to the exhibition can use tools provided by the organizers to build a Lennon Wall, and to play familiar songs by tapping on glasses. They may also write letters to compatriots who are in custody. There will be a Christmas market where more than 20 groups will run stalls to sell movement-themed items and get Hongkongers to support the “yellow economic circle” of businesses.

The organizers were keen to get the exhibition up and running even as the introduction of national security laws in the summer heightened the risk of preparing such an event and forced them to stop promotional efforts.

“We don’t want to give up. We will do as much as we can and we don’t want to worry too much at this moment,” Candy, one of the volunteer organizers, said.

They are appealing to interested members of the public to turn up on the first day as there is no knowing how long the program can last.

The exhibition is scheduled to run from Dec. 24 to 27 at 4/F Hip Wo Industrial Building in Mong Kok, Kowloon.

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