#HTE

Everything You Need to Put Together Your “Hong Kong Protestor” Halloween Costume

(Title image credit: By Studio Incendo - CC BY 2.0)

It’s always fun to guess which subversive “ripped from the headlines” DIY Halloween costume will show up at NYC’s annual parade. I think on Thursday you’re going to see at least a few “Hong Kong Protest” outfits.

What would that entail? Since the actual protestors are improvising gear out of household items, most of the props are things you probably already own, or will find useful enough to buy. Here’s our recommended list:

3M Respirator

$12.50

Combination protection against getting gassed and having your face recognized by a CCTV camera. 3M’s tried-and-true half-facepiece 6300 comes in Small, Medium and Large sizes for a comfortable fit.

3M Multi Gas Vapor Cartridge Filter

$22 for a 2-pack

Whether for costume use or actual use, a respirator’s no good without the filters. For hipster-level accuracy, go for this pair of 3M’s 60626 cartridges, which offer protection from “Organic Vapor, Acid Gas, Ammonia, Methylamine, Formaldehyde.” (Those are the closest items we could find to tear gas.)

Steampunk Metal Goggles (with alternative)

$15.99

Regular safety glasses don’t offer side protection from pepper spray, so go for these canister-style specs, which seal all around your eyes. (Note that the cheapies in the first image are the costume variety; if you want the real deal for use in your shop, drop $34.95 on the German-made variant that welders use.)

Oven Mitts (with alternative)

$9.88

This is what the protestors use to pick up those burning-hot tear gas canisters, to throw back at the riot police. (If you want something with more dexterity, i.e. discrete fingers, you can spend $29.99 on these heat-resistant, insulated gloves for barbecuing and grilling.)

Cling Wrap

$3.99

Protestors have been wrapping their arms and bare skin in sandwich wrap, to avoid the irritation caused by pepper spray. With 250 square feet per roll, you’ll have enough to wrap yourself and a bucketful of sandwiches.

Traffic Cone

$16.85

For covering those tear gas canisters, so that you can pour water into the hole to extinguish them. The IRL protestors have been grabbing these off of the streets for free, but if you do that while marching in NYC’s parade, you might catch a beatdown from someone you think is wearing a police costume and who turns out to be an actual cop.

Wok Lid

$14.99

An alternative to the traffic cone, HK protestors have dropped these over tear gas canisters to contain the gas. May or may not be effective at deflecting baton strikes.

Cordless Leaf Blower

$79.00

The latest, most innovative tool in the HK protestor’s arsenal. The leaf blower is used (as we saw here) to blow tear gas away from the canister long enough for one of your compatriots to cover and douse it.

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Whether you’re protesting or parading, stay safe!