‘Be like water’: How the spirit of Bruce Lee inspires Los Angeles protesters | Opinion
On Monday after work, I felt myself spiraling into depression at the unraveling state of the nation. (An unfortunate byproduct of being so tuned into the news cycle.) So, I called my good friend, an actress and writer who happens to live just a few miles from the protests going on in Los Angeles, for some words of comfort and inspiration.
She was scared too, she said, but she was trying to remember to “Be like water.”
I’d seen the phrase in hashtags on a few social media posts, but I didn’t know what it meant. Turns out, it’s a rather famous Bruce Lee quote: “Be like water making its way through cracks. Do not be assertive, but adjust to the object, and you shall find a way around or through it.”
This philosophy of a Hollywood legend and martial artist who died more than 50 years ago lives on today among protesters facing off with federal authorities in Los Angeles.
The concept of staying adaptive has inspired revolutionaries across the world, but since June 6, LA protesters have been spreading the word to “Be like water” as encouragement to each other and a reminder to stay adaptable in charged situations. It can also imply utilizing tactical withdrawal from the front line of protests whenever police begin to form a perimeter and kettle demonstrators.
Before LA in 2025, the concept was used in the 2019-20 Hong Kong protests, when residents there took to the streets to protest the detention of a young, pro-democracy political leader at the hands of the Chinese government. Protesters adapted Lee’s philosophy to “be like water,” to stay adaptable, to remove themselves from dangerous situations, and ultimately to stay safe from the repercussions of large-scale protest and the violent police action being perpetrated against them in the streets.
Fast forward six years, and now it’s Los Angeles’ turn to protest an unpopular regime bringing in troops unnecessarily to strike fear into the city.
The phrase “be like water” is ubiquitous among young people who use social media to support and organize anti-Trump demonstrations. I’ve seen Instagram influencers and TikTok stars whose pages have nothing to do with politics use the phrase to encourage and give strength to protesters in LA.
Tactical withdrawal gaining popularity
The Los Angeles Police Department, has been deployed to the streets of LA in the past week while the presence of the California National Guard and several hundred Marines has so far been confined to surrounding federal facilities. It’s all part of an effort to quash LA’s civil disobedience, creating danger and violence for the vast majority of Angelenos who are simply exercising their First Amendment rights to assemble and of free speech.
“Tactical withdrawal is not retreating in shame, it’s retreating with purpose. You don’t disappear. You pull back to come back stronger, smarter and more disruptive,” wrote an Angeleno on a Facebook group called “Love Boyle Heights,” a historic Latino community in the heart of Los Angeles.
But one of the biggest lessons LA is taking from Hong Kong... is their choice of outfit.
Images of a Hong Kong woman wearing a peculiar ‘fit are circulating on social media; it could be described as homegrown police-action gear.
Communities are encouraging each other to wear goggles for eye protection from flying objects and heat-resistant gloves to pick up and toss back tear gas canisters. Influencers suggest wearing face masks, long-sleeved shirts and pants to protect skin and lungs; to bring hard hats, knee and elbow pads to the protest if demonstrators are pushed or fall, and need to crawl on the ground in safety. Traffic cones and battery-operated leaf blowers are advised to minimize the effect of tear gas and to blow smoke away from crowds. Bring water, snacks and a change of clothes, they say.
And, as in the iconic image of the Umbrella Movement (a series of sit-in protests in Hong Kong a decade ago), protesters are encouraging each other to bring an umbrella to deflect law enforcement’s “less than lethal” ammunition — tear gas, flash grenades and pepper-spray. Though that’s a true misnomer for these police projectiles; they are often merely bullets coated in rubber, and have been known to cause respiratory problems, head and brain injuries, blindness and even death.
Protests take inspiration from Bruce Lee
Social media is full of Californians sharing tips on how to stay safe during protests — a practice that will come in handy this weekend as the nation takes to the streets for the “No Kings” demonstrations in every major city and beyond.
“Melt ICE, Be Water,” wrote one Instagram account, advising its followers on how to stay safe during protests.
“For those in California: Protest and gather everywhere the military isn’t. Let the military protect empty streets. When they show up to where you are, move on to a new spot… My prayers are with you!” wrote a woman on the 50501 Movement’s Facebook page.
“Be like water” can also mean to come at the problem in a million different ways: Every individual can contribute, whether that means attending protests, supporting your community by offering support, bringing water and food to the streets, or lending money to bail funds.
Mark these words: Los Angeles could be just the start of this summer’s unrest.
We should all take a page out of Angelenos’ playbook to protect ourselves, to stay peaceful and stay adaptable as water in these tense situations. All to make our point that — no matter what violence is thrown against us — the people united will never be defeated.
