#BlueForSudan: Why Are People Changing Their Profile Pictures to this Shade of Indigo?

If you've been on Instagram in the last two days, you may have noticed a pattern start to emerge: a pattern of color, specifically.

A lot of profile pictures and post seem to be turning blue. The reason is something which may not be familiar, and the hashtag unknown: #BlueForSudan.

The phenomenon can be noticed across Instagram and Twitter ad profile pictures and posts are slowly turning blue.

This is how my Instagram looks right now! #turntheworldblue for #sudan #IAmSudanRevolution pic.twitter.com/fsEgEZBf2D

— ود البيه (@khalidalbaih) June 12, 2019

Stand with humanity, stand with Sudan— show solidarity by turning your profile to the colour blue! #BlueForSudan pic.twitter.com/75sunwBjBn

— Al Mayassa Al Thani (@almayassahamad) June 12, 2019

The reason for the profile pictures turning blue? It's bring awareness to the situation which is unfolding in Sudan.

For my country, for my people, for the fallen, for the martyrs, for the injured, for the raped, for the missing, for Darfur, for the north, east, west, and south #blueforsudan pic.twitter.com/iXDUTIsKsZ

— Ola Mahdi (@ola_mahdi132) June 13, 2019

You don't need to be a sudan national to raise a voice against this! They are trying to blacklist the internet to hide all the killings, spread #BlueforSudan as much as you can to raise awareness about the massacre that's happening rn! #SudanMassacre #Sudan #BlueForSudan pic.twitter.com/Qtf2t7UV5e

— The Meme Genie (@thememegenie) June 14, 2019

According to The Telegraph, the reason for the trigger was 26-year-old Mohammed Hashim Mattar, who was gunned down Mohammed Hashim Mattar was just 26 when he was gunned down by Sudanese security services last week. His favorite shade of indigo blue has since become a symbol of the country’s embattled pro-democracy uprising.

#Sudan 🇸🇩: one of the protesters who was murdered by the #RSF at the sit-in was Mohamed Hashim Mattar. He died trying to shield a couple of women.In the picture Mohamed is celebrating his birthday, it was taken just two hours before he was killed.#SudanUprising #SudanMassacre pic.twitter.com/jXlT1IvL1l

— Thomas van Linge (@ThomasVLinge) June 5, 2019

The color blue, one of our martyrs (Mattar) favorite color, started as a tribute to him, now turned to a symbol of all our martyrs, and their dreams of a better Sudan.#BlueForSudan#IAmSudaneseRevolution https://t.co/3LMxrtBOvi

— Saad The Lion سعد (@Saad_Alasad) June 12, 2019

Sudan's veteran opposition leader Sadiq al-Mahdi has called for an "objective" international investigation into last week's deadly crackdown on protesters, after the ruling military council rejected such a probe.

There is also an internet blackout, according to Al Jazeera, which is making it harder for people to spread the message about the killings. But it isn't stopping the people who have access to social media to put the message out.

#BlueForSudan Meanings of blue color:The Nile 💙Our sky 💙Voice of freedome 💙The souls of our martyrs 💙 pic.twitter.com/3yf0Q8DlsE

— ب. (@2uvb_) June 13, 2019

For my country, for my people, for the fallen, for the martyrs, for the injured, for the raped, for the missing, for Darfur, for the north, east, west, and south #blueforsudan pic.twitter.com/iXDUTIsKsZ

— Ola Mahdi (@ola_mahdi132) June 13, 2019

Blue For Mattar, Blue For All The Martyrs, Blue For Sudan💙.#SudanUprising #BlueforSudan #SudanMassacre pic.twitter.com/AbQPNlKUxo

— Fazli Qadeer (@FazliQadeer3) June 13, 2019

Screenshot this #NewProfilePic and make it your own #paintSudanblue to tell the world our story #IAmTheSudanRevlotion pic.twitter.com/100gAaRXUb

— ود البيه (@khalidalbaih) June 12, 2019

Let their voices be heard.#BlueForSudan pic.twitter.com/iJ6WX6QSnc

— فرح السند (@falsanad) June 13, 2019

This isn't the only time Sudan protests took over social media. In early April, a viral photo of a woman leading the chants from on top of a car became a symbol for the women in the protest.