Thank you for the well researched article. Given the language barrier there's always the fear that much of the imageries and art used by the protesters will be impenetrable to foreginers, given that much of it is also impenetrable to many older people in Hong Kong itself. But you've done a good job in translation.
Youth culture in Hong Kong is massively influenced by pop culture from other countries. Hong Kong is famous for its weak creative industry, with only 2 free tv companies dishing out the same rubbish over and over again. Many young people intead look outside for entertainment. The generation raised on Japanese anime/manga and American comicbook heroes is the same generation who are now feeling compelled to take to the streets. It is no wonder that geek culture finds themselves represented this way.
If anyone would like to know more about some of the memes coming out of the Umbrella Movement please contact me and I'll be happy to explain more.
I personally find photoshoped pictures of the Chinese president, Xi standing with the protesters (and indeed physically on the ground) to be hilarious:
