There’s a revolution going on in Hong Kong right now, and it’s being led by more than 13,000 students and young people who are demanding democratic reforms for the island nation chafing under the strong-armed leadership of mainland China.
And, as with so many recent democratic uprisings across the Middle East and Europe, this protest movement has a social media-ready set of iconic images/leaders that has helped spread the word across the planet at lightning speed. So, what is the deal with the ‘Umbrella Revolution?’
Broken Promises
After the United Kingdom transferred sovereignty over Hong Kong to the People’s Republic of China in 1997, China agreed to allow Hong Kong to develop its own government and democratically elect leaders by 2017. But then the Chinese government began to backpedal in July, saying that candidates for election in HK would have to be approved by a Chinese central committee, setting off protests in the streets.
Taking It To The Streets
Getty Images News/Anthony Kwan
A trio of activists formed a group modeled after the U.S. Occupy movement called Occupy Central last year, encouraging fellow HK citizens to engage in peaceful civil disobedience to send a message to Chinese leaders. University students heeded their call again last Wednesday, filling the streets of downtown for a protest that was joined by Occupy Central members on Friday. The students also wrote a manifesto decrying Beijing’s “colonial” actions against their country and asking for an apology to the people of Hong Kong.
Getty Images News/Paula Bronstein
Police Crack Down Hard
Bloomberg
With more than 13,000 protesters in the streets, riot police swooped in on Sunday and unleashed tear gas and rubber bullets on the crowds, even as more marchers joined the fray. To date, 26 people have been hospitalized and more than 78 arrested.
Umbrellas In The Air
Getty Images News/Chris McGrath
The iconic image to emerge from the so-called “Umbrella Revolution” are the umbrellas protesters have employed to deflect the volleys of pepper spray, along with plastic tarps, surgical masks and goggles to protect themselves from the irritant. Beijing has dubbed the protests illegal and approved of the strong police response. “The unlawful assembly being held outside the Central Government Offices on Tim Mei Avenue in Central is affecting public safety, public order and traffic nearby,” Chinese authorities said in a press release. “It also affects the rights and freedom of other members of the public.”
What’s Next?
Protesters continued to occupy the streets on Tuesday (September 30) and set a Wednesday deadline for a response from the government, according to USA Today. Wednesday also coincides with a national holiday marking the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, which could result in even larger groups of marchers. Chinese authorities are watching the situation with caution, worried that the pro-democracy movement could spread to the world’s largest remaining Communist state, which violently put down a pro-democracy movement on the mainland in Tiananmen Square in 1989.
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