Misplaced Pages

Revision as of 01:29, 7 October 2014

2014 Hong Kong Protests
A "candlelight vigil" held with mobile phones
Date	26 September 2014 (26 September 2014) – ongoing
Location	Hong Kong Admiralty Central Wan Chai Mong Kok Causeway Bay Tsim Sha Tsui
Parties
Pro-democracy activists Hong Kong Federation of Students Scholarism Occupy Central Pan-democracy camp Hong Kong government Security Bureau Hong Kong Police Force Anti-Occupy activists Silent Majority for Hong Kong Alliance for Peace and Democracy Suspected Triads
Lead figures
Joshua Wong Chi-fung (Convenor of Scholarism) Chan Kin-man Chu Yiu-ming Benny Tai (Co-organisers of the Occupy Central) Alex Chow Yong-kang Lester Shum (Representatives of Hong Kong Federation of Students) Joanna Chiu (4 October 2014). "Hong Kong street brawl reveals limits of protest leadership". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 6 October 2014.</ref> CY Leung (Chief Executive of Hong Kong) Carrie Lam (Chief Secretary for Administration) Lai Tung-kwok (Secretary for Security) Andy Tsang (Commissioner of Police)
Casualties and losses
Arrests: 108 (As of 3 October 2014) Injuries: 87 (As of 3 October 2014) Arrests At least 38 (As of 5 October 2014) Injuries: At least 41 (Government reports as of 29 September 2014)

The 2014 Hong Kong protests, also referred to as the Umbrella Revolution, began in September 2014 when anti-government advocates in Hong Kong protested outside the government headquarters and occupied several major city intersections after the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPCSC) announced its decision on proposed electoral reform. Instead of allowing civil nominations, the NPCSC made it clear that a nomination committee would elect up to three electoral candidates for the general public to vote upon. After the election, the Chief Executive-elect would have to be formally appointed by the central government before officially taking the post.

The Hong Kong Federation of Students and Scholarism began protesting outside the government headquarters on 22 September 2014 in favor of public nominations. On the evening of 26 September, several hundred demonstrators breached a security barrier and entered the forecourt of the Central Government Complex, which has been barred from public entry since July 2014. Officers cordoned off protesters within the courtyard and restricted their movement overnight, eventually removing them by force the next day, including student leader Joshua Wong, who was eventually detained for more than 40 hours. Occupy Central announced that they would begin their civil disobedience campaign immediately.

On 28 September, the protesters marched onto Harcourt Road and proceeded to occupy Queensway as well, blocking both east-west arterial routes in northern Hong Kong Island. After a several hour standoff, police attempted to disperse the protesters with pepper spray and tear gas.

As of October 2014, the government has set a 'deadline day' in which they say they will clear the streets of protestors; the protestors have stated that they are up for negotiations, but there has been no comment about conceding to the government.

Names

When Occupy Central with Love and Peace declared the launch of the campaign, many protesters came out with the purpose of supporting the student activists. The occupation phase of the campaign was neither specifically organized by the Hong Kong Federation of Students nor OCLP. The term "Occupy Central" (佔中) is commonly used by the media to describe the occupy campaign in Hong Kong.

The name "Umbrella Revolution" was coined by New Yorker Adam Cotton on social media on 26 September to describe the 2014 Hong Kong protests, and was widely used in international media to describe the large number of protesters who brought umbrellas to defend themselves from pepper spray and tear gas. This name was later rejected by occupy leaders who emphasized that the movement was not a colour revolution but rather a demand for free and fair elections.

Background

In the Sino-British Joint Declaration of 1984, the governments of the United Kingdom and China agreed Hong Kong would revert back to Chinese control in July 1997 and stated the basic policies under which the city would be governed after the handover. Under the principle of one country, two systems, Hong Kong would enjoy a high degree of autonomy, except in foreign and defence affairs for 50 years after the transfer of sovereignty. Annex I of the treaty states the Hong Kong's leader, the Chief Executive, would eventually be selected by election or through consultations and the legislature would be chosen through elections.

The Hong Kong Basic Law was drafted in accordance with the Joint Declaration and details how the former British colony would be governed. Socialism as practised on the mainland would not be extended to Hong Kong. Instead, the territory would continue its previous capitalist system and way of life for a period of 50 years after 1997. Hong Kong would retain responsibility for its own domestic affairs including, but not limited to, the judiciary and courts of last resort, immigration and customs, public finance, currency, and extradition. Articles 45 and 68 of this constitution prescribed that the Chief Executive would eventually be elected through universal suffrage.

Standing Committee decision on electoral reform

On 31 August 2014, the Tenth Session of the Standing Committee in the Twelfth National People's Congress set limits for the 2016 Legislative Council and 2017 Chief Executive elections. While calling for universal suffrage, the decision imposes the standard that "the Chief Executive shall be a person who loves the country and loves Hong Kong," and requires "the method for selecting the Chief Executive by universal suffrage must provide corresponding institutional safeguards for this purpose." The decision states that for the 2017 Chief Executive election, a nominating committee, similar to the present Election Committee system, be formed to nominate two to three candidates, each of whom must receive the support of more than half of the members of the nominating committee. After popular election of one of the nominated candidates, the Chief Executive-elect "will have to be appointed by the Central People's Government." The process of forming the 2016 Legislative Council would be unchanged, but following the new process for the election of the Chief Executive, a new system to elect the Legislative Council via universal suffrage would be developed with the approval of Beijing.

While Li Fei, a deputy secretary general of the Committee, said that the procedure would protect the broad stability of Hong Kong now and in the future, pro-democracy advocates viewed the decision as a betrayal of the principle of "one person, one vote," as they considered candidates deemed unsuitable by the Beijing authorities would not be nominated. The Standing Committee decision is set to be the basis for electoral reform crafted by the Legislative Council, although Democratic Party legislative members have already promised to veto the proposal. In response, Occupy Central announced that it would organize civil disobedience protests. Simultaneously, the Hong Kong Federation of Students and the student activist group Scholarism staged a coordinated class boycott and organised public rallies and street assemblies.

Class boycott

Hong Kong Federation of Students and Scholarism mobilised students to boycott classes, with tertiary students commencing a one-week boycott from 22 September. At the same time, Scholarism organised a demonstration outside of the Central Government Offices barricade on 13 September 2014. Protesters wearing yellow ribbons and blindfolded with red cloth declared a class-boycott on 26 September in response to the wider class-boycott movement. Various scholars have been volunteering to give public lectures at the occupied sites.

The stated goals of the Hong Kong Federation of Students and Scholarism are:

• Universal suffrage
• The resignation of Chief Executive CY Leung
• The withdrawal of the decision of the National People's Congress Standing Committee
• The submission of a new electoral reform plan that includes civil nomination of Hong Kong's Chief Executive

Chronology

26/27 September

Having received a Notice of No Objection approving the assembly that day between 00:01 to 23:59, protesters proceeded to gather in Tim Mei Road in the forecourt at the eastern entrance of the Central Government Offices. At around 22:30 on 26 September, up to 100 protesters led by Joshua Wong, the Convenor of Scholarism, went to reclaim the privatized Civic Square for the public by climbing over the fence of the square; they tried to tear down the metal barriers around the central flag podium. The police force mobilized on Civic Square and started to physically carry away the protesters two hours afterwards.

At 00:45 on 27 September, a large police force was mobilised to surround protesters at the centre of the Civic Square. At first, the police allowed protesters to leave voluntarily if they produced their personal identification documents. For those who refused to leave, each was carried away by at least four police officers. Protesters in the Square included secondary students and their parents, as well as representatives from student organisations. On the other hand, at 1:20am, the police applied pepper spray to the crowd near the Legislative Council, with some secondary students injured. From the evening of September until the following midnight, 13 people were arrested including Joshua Wong. Wong was detained for over 40 hours, and was released after the High Court unconditionally approved his lawyers' writ of habeus corpus.

At 1:30 pm, the police force carried out the second round of clearance during which 48 men and 13 women, aged between 17 and 58, were taken into custody for forcible entry into government premises and unlawful assembly. A 27-year-old man was also arrested for possession of an offensive weapon. All the arrested were detained at the Police College in Wong Chuk Hang. The police spokesman declared the assembly outside the Central Government Complex at Tim Mei Avenue illegal, and advised citizens against participating in the assembly, passing by or getting close to that area. The arrested demonstrators, including Legislative Councillor Leung Kwok-hung and some HKFS members, were released around 9 pm. However, HKFS representatives Alex Chow Yong-kang and Lester Shum were detained for 30 hours. The police later cleared the assembly, arresting a total of 78 people who ranged from 16 to 58 years of age.

28 September

On 28 September at 1:40am, Benny Tai, one of the initiators of the Occupy Central movement, announced the beginning of Occupy Central at the Central Government Complex at Tim Mei Avenue. Occupy Central was widely expected to start on 1 October, but was accelerated in response to the mass student presence. The Occupy Central movement similarly demanded the immediate withdrawal of the decision on political reform by the National People's Congress Standing Committee, and immediate public consultation on the issue. Later that day it was reported that at least 34 people had been injured in that day's protests.

Later that morning, protests escalated as police blocked roads and bridges entering Tim Mei Avenue. Protest leaders called upon citizens to come to Admiralty to encircle the police force. Tensions at the junction of Tim Mei Avenue and Harcourt Road kept rising after several jostles which ended up with the usage of pepper spray. As the sky darkened on Sunday night, the armed riot police advanced gradually from Wanchai toward Admiralty. As the police progressed towards Central and Sheung Wan, a police officer unfurled a black banner that stated "Warning, Tear Smoke". At that point, shots of tear gas were fired, and protesters hastily distributed masks and bottles of water amongst themselves. The first few tear gas canisters were fired by armed riot police which were surrounded at around 6 pm on 28 September 2014. Protesters retreated to Admiralty. The tear gas used against apparently unarmed and peaceful protesters was cited by the media as a trigger for anger and more citizens joining the protests. Tens of thousands of citizens joined in the protest in reaction to the firing of tear gas and built up new strongholds in Causeway Bay and Mong Kok, two major commercial areas of Hong Kong.

The police force later stated they had used tear gas 87 "times" but did not say how many canisters in total were used. The last time Hong Kong police used tear gas was during the World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference of 2005, at which there were anti-globalisation protests; Hong Kong Police officers gassed South Korean protesters.

29 September

With the closure of Admiralty Station and the use of tear gas, many citizens joined in the protests and went to other parts of the city, including Wan Chai, Causeway Bay, Mong Kok, and universities. At dawn after the night of tear gas, the number protesters that remained in the occupation area was more or less the same. Yet, police had changed their strategy, easing their defence level; some police negotiation cadres were at the occupation areas to negotiate with protesters to urge them to leave. A police spokesperson announced that 89 protesters had been arrested. There were 41 casualties, including 12 police.

On 29 September, Carrie Lam announced that the second round of public consultations on political reform, originally planned to be completed by the end of the year, would be postponed. Also, the annual National Day fireworks celebration on 1 October was announced to be cancelled.

1 October

Joshua Wong and several Scholarism members attended the National Day flag raising ceremony at the Golden Bauhinia Square, having undertaken not to shout slogans or make any gestures during the flag raising. Instead, the students faced away from the flag to show their discontent. District councillor Paul Zimmerman opened a yellow umbrella in protest inside the reception after the ceremony.

2 October

On 2 October 2014, Beijing suspended visas for group tours to Hong Kong.

Over the end of the first week, protesters alleged that the police made use of ambulances and trucks to bring weapons, such as tear gas canisters, into the headquarters buildings. Subsequently, protesters have demanded the right to inspect ambulances and vehicles delivering food and water passing through their barricades. This demand was conceded to by the police, with SCMP reporting there was only food and supplies on the trucks after the trucks were inspected by the protesters.

Shortly before midnight, the Hong Kong Government responded to an ultimatum, to CY Leung, demanding universal suffrage with unfiltered rights of candidate nomination. Chief Secretary Carrie Lam was to hold talks with student leaders about political reform at an unspecified date.

3 October

On 3 October 2014 early morning, violence started to break out in Mong Kok, Kowloon and Causeway Bay, Hong Kong Island. Groups of anti-Occupy Central activists fought with protesters while tearing down some of their tents and barricades. The groups contained some triad members, but were mostly comprised of pro-Beijing groups, and locals whose day-to-day activities had been affected by the Occupy movement. The Hong Kong Journalists Association complained that the group also attacked reporters in Mong Kok. A South China Morning Post reporter was also assaulted. A student with a head injury complained that while men from anti-Occupy group beat him the police did not intervene. The protesters accused the police of giving the attackers free rein by arresting them but releasing them shortly after, and denounced the anti-Occupy groups as being linked to the triads.

Amnesty International released a statement condemning Hong Kong police for " in their duty to protect protesters from attacks" and stating that women were attacked, threatened, and sexually assaulted while police watched and did nothing.

In the aftermath of the scuffle, police arrested 19 and 18 were injured, 6 of whom were police officers attempting to keep the peace. As a response to the clash, student leaders of Hong Kong halted plans to hold talks with the government, citing CY Leung's "insincerity and stealth tactics" as the main reason.

4 October

On 4 October 2014, counter-protesters wearing blue ribbons marched in support of the police and the tactics they employed, stating they were not excessive. Occupy Central protesters had complained about excessive police force earlier in the week, but kept asking why the police did not enforce the law to protect the occupation protesters. Patrick Ko of the Voice of Loving Hong Kong group accused the protesters of having double standards, and suggested that had the police enforced the law, protesters would have already been evicted. Another anti-Occupy spokesperson Chan Ching-sum complained the continued occupation of roads was "destroy Hong Kong people's daily lives" and unrelated to democracy.

Throughout the day, police attempted to keep the occupy and anti-occupy camps separate, and repeatedly asked anti-occupy individuals as well as onlookers to leave when arguments between the two camps occurred. A small fight broke out around 1 pm which was stopped by the police. Barricades and tents were re-erected early in the morning by occupy protesters.

In the afternoon, Chief Executive CY Leung insisted that government operations and schools affected by Occupy Central must resume on Monday.

Former Democratic Party lawmaker Cheung Man-Kwong stated the occupy campaign was in a "very dangerous situation," and urged them to "sit down and talk, in order to avoid tragedy." The Federation of Students demanded the government explain the previous night's events before continuing talks and that they would continue to occupy streets in different areas, including Mong Kok and Causeway Bay, in contrast to occupy co-founder Benny Tai's request that protesters vacate Mong Kok.

The Pan-Democratic camp held a press conference criticising the police response on the previous night, accusing it of being an orchestrated attack involving the triads. They also criticised the police presence as insufficient. In response, Secretary for Security Lai Tung-kwok denied accusations against the police and explained the reason for not using tear gas was due to the difference in geographical environment. Police state that protesters' barricades had prevented reinforcements from arriving on the scene.

5/6 October

University leaders and politicians, including Democratic Party lawmaker Law Chi-kwong urged the occupy movement to leave the street for their own safety. There were rumors of a planned operation by the police, but this did not occur. Another group of 80 university leaders released a statement later in the day urging the government to listen to the protesters' demands. Alex Chow Yong-kang, leader of the Federation of Students, rejected calls by the government for dialog if previous demands and the protesters' safety were not met. Later in the night, he announced that the police had met this requirement, and talks continued throughout the night between the Federation and the government.

Conflict between Occupy and anti-Occupy groups continued on Sunday but was less than on previous days.. In both days, confusion among protesters occurred as some protester groups disagreed on whether or not to un-occupy Lung Wo Road in Admiralty and Mong Kok.

Classes resumed on the 6th of Hong Kong as per the announcement the day before, despite urges by the People Power party chairwoman Erica Yuen Mi-ming to occupy Queensway in order to prevent classes from reopening.

Organization

Due to the number of different factions comprising the occupy movement, there have been times where groups comprising protesters have not coordinated with one another. The Hong Kong Federation of Students, Scholarism, and Occupy Central are all participating, and have denied being the sole leader of the movement. One example of the split nature of the occupy movement's leadership is the occupation of Mong Kok, with the Federation of Students supporting it and other leadership figures such as Benny Tai opposing it. Another example was the confusion in Admiralty where one group of protesters had negotiated a withdraw while another group moved in upon learning of it.

Cleanup

At the beginning of the protests, international media coverage such as Slate Magazine and the BBC noted the protests high degree of organization, politeness, tidiness, and "staunch adherence to nonviolence". Numerous stations were set up by the protesters as a base for food and water distribution, waste collection and medical care. One example mentioned was separating plastic bottles and paper from general refuse for recycling during morning cleanups. Signs were placed all over the city apologising for any inconvenience caused, as well as denouncing any isolated incidents of vandalism. After a week of demonstrations, organizers continued to have daily clean ups, but said that overall hygiene in the camp had deteriorated.

Communication

Communication is mainly through social media. Malware in the form of a phishing attack was conducted on the protesters according to a security consultancy, which believed that Chinese intelligence was implicated. Protesters have also started to use the peer to peer messaging app FireChat due to fears of the police disrupting mobile services in protest areas. As FireChat messages are not encrypted, protest leaders turned to using another peer to peer app called Telegram which does encrypt messages.

Domestic reactions

This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (October 2014) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Public opinion towards police action

Director of Hong Kong Human Rights Monitor Law Yuk-kai was dissatisfied with the unnecessary violence by the police, believing that students only broke into the Civic Square to sit-in peacefully, with no intentions of destroying government premises. He questioned the mobilisation of riot police while protesters staged no conflict, and the use of truncheons was not minimally violent as the police stated, because truncheons could severely harm protesters. In 27 September afternoon, Alan Leong Kah-kit of the Civic Party read aloud on stage outside the Central Government Complex a statement signed by pan-democrats. The statement wrote the police exercised unnecessary violence against protesters in 26 September evening, when the students were only trying to enter the Civic Square with no violent actions. The statement also urged the government to free all students. President of The Chinese University of Hong Kong Student Union Tommy Cheung Sau-yin said, all that the students did was raise their hands, and crowd management was well done, this student movement was however smeared as a violent action. He also criticised the police's attack on citizens.

Hong Kong government

Deputy Director of the Basic Law Committee Elsie Leung did not think the police used excessive violence, and believed the failure of dialogue between students and the Chief Executive did not justify a raid into the Civic Square. The Spokesperson for the Junior Police Officers Association also thought the police's measures to restore order were reasonable, and expressed regret towards the peaceful assembly's sudden escalation into a raid. Secretary for Security Lai Tung-kwok commented the police cleared the movement with restraint, only starting clearance when repeated warnings failed. He commented as well that the equipment was decided circumstantially, as the police must be prepared for self-defence. Members of the Defend Hong Kong Campaign gathered at MTR Admiralty station for assembly and demonstration in support of the police, criticising the HKFS and Scholarism's attempt at breaking into the Civic Square. Legislative Council Chairman Jasper Tsang Yok-sing disapproved of the attack at the Central Government Complex. He disagreed that the police were excessively violent, saying they would not use pepper spray illegitimately. The Chinese General Chamber of Commerce released a statement expressing regret towards the violent turn of events and supporting the police's efforts to maintain social stability.

Chinese government and media

On 28 September it emerged that Chinese government authorities had issued the following censorship directive: "All websites must immediately clear away information about Hong Kong students violently assaulting the government and about 'Occupy Central.' Promptly report any issues. Strictly manage interactive channels, and resolutely delete harmful information. This must be followed precisely." Internet censors rapidly deleted messages on microblogs and social media with words such as "Hong Kong," "barricades", "Occupy Central" and "umbrella".

An article in the Chinese Communist Party's newspaper, the People's Daily, by the deputy director of China's National People's Congress Internal and Judicial Affairs Committee, Li Shenming, stated: "In today's China, engaging in an election system of one-man-one-vote is bound to quickly lead to turmoil, unrest and even a situation of civil war." On 29 September, the People's Daily suggested that organisers of the Hong Kong protests learned their tactics from supporters of the Sunflower Student Movement in Taiwan. The opinion piece alleged that the organisers first sought support from the United Kingdom and the United States, then invited the Sunflower leaders to Hong Kong to share their experience.

On 1 October, the People's Daily said that the Beijing stance on Hong Kong's elections is "unshakeable" and legally valid. It stated that pro-democracy 'Occupy Central' protests are illegal and are hurting Hong Kong and warned, "If it continues, the consequences will be unimaginable." It concluded by stating, "If a few people are determined to go against the rule of law and provoke disturbances, in the end they will reap what they have sown." Some observers have remarked that the editorial is similar to the April 26 Editorial that led to the brutal crackdown in the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. On the next day, the paper stated that Hong Kong residents should support authorities in their efforts to deploy police enforcement and restore the social order in Hong Kong, and warned of consequences towards Hong Kong's economy and China-US relations if the protests continue.

The Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited the White House on 1 October, in advance of President Obama's 10–12 November visit to Beijing, and met with the President and National Security Advisor Susan E. Rice. Wang Yi stated that public order was the first priority. The President and Ambassador Rice noted that the US is following developments in Hong Kong closely and expressed their hope that differences between Hong Kong authorities and protesters will be addressed peacefully. An official report of the meeting reaffirmed that "the United States has consistently supported the open system that is essential to Hong Kong's stability and prosperity, universal suffrage, and the aspirations of the Hong Kong people."

The People's Daily stated in a front page commentary on 4 October that the protests "could lead to deaths and injuries and other grave consequences."

International reactions

Organisations

•  European Union – The EU expressed concern on Thursday over demonstrations in Hong Kong and called on all sides to stay calm as a protester deadline for the island's embattled leader to resign loomed. "We have been concerned about events in Hong Kong and are closely monitoring developments," a spokeswoman for the EU's diplomatic service said. "In the light of the ongoing demonstrations, we welcome the restraint shown by both sides. We urge all sides to continue to exercise this restraint."
•  United Nations – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's spokesman Stephane Dujarric said that Ban "understands that this is a domestic matter, but urges all stakeholders to resolve any differences in a manner that is peaceful and safeguards democratic principles."
• World Uyghur Congress – President Rebiya Kadeer said the protests in Hong Kong "are very inspiring" to Xinjiang, and "if Hong Kong wins, it will benefit Uighurs as well, and then the Uighurs can strengthen their own movement."

States

•  Australia – The Australian government issued travel advice recommending Australians to avoid protest sites in Hong Kong and take alternative routes through the city, while pro-democracy supporters across Australia held demonstrations in solidarity with Occupy Central protesters, including in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney.
•  Canada – The Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Canada is "supportive of democratic development in Hong Kong and believe that the ongoing adherence to the 'One Country, Two Systems' policy has contributed to and remains essential for Hong Kong's stability and prosperity." Moreover, the ministry said that Canada "reiterates its support for the implementation of universal suffrage for the election of the Chief Executive in 2017 and all members of the Legislative Council in 2020, in accordance with the Basic Law and the democratic aspirations of the Hong Kong people."
•  France – The French Foreign Ministry stated that it was "closely following" street demonstrations in Hong Kong and stressed the protesters' right to march peacefully. "We are closely following the evolution of the situation and we reiterate our attachment to the right to demonstrate peacefully," Foreign Ministry spokesman Romain Nadal told at a news conference.
•  Italy – The Italian Foreign Ministry released a statement, declaring it is "following what is happening in Hong Kong with attention" and is also "hoping that the local and Chinese authorities, in the face of the peaceful demands of many young people and citizens, show wisdom and listening skills." The Ministry also advocated "a common solution which also responds to the legitimate aspirations of those who ask for the respect of the Constitution adopted in 1997".
•  Japan – Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroshige Seko said at a press conference, "A democratic Hong Kong that is prosperous and stable will play an extremely important role for countries in the Asia-Pacific region, including Japan. Our hope is that Hong Kong will be able to maintain its free and open system under (the principle of) 'one country, two systems".
•  Malaysia – The Malaysian Ministry of Foreign Affairs were closely monitoring the situation and advises all Malaysians to be extra vigilant and to take all necessary precautions for their personal safety.
•  Philippines – The Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs has issued a travel advisory warning Filipino nationals and workers to avoid demonstration sites to prevent fines and deportation, namely in: Central, Admiralty, Tim Me Avenue, Lung Wei Road, Causeway Bay, Mongkok, Wan Chai and the government headquarters in Tamar stating that, "to ensure your safety and avoid being inadvertently perceived as being part of the protest actions." The Foreign Affairs Department is closely monitoring the situation through its consulate in Hong Kong.
•  Russia – Russian state media accused the protests as being another colour revolution similar to the Euromaidan and also alleged that the movement was covertly sponsored by both the United States and United Kingdom governments.
•  Singapore – Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong stated that "There will be issues that will come up from time to time and they have to be resolved by Hong Kong and China..." Singapore has also issued a travel alert.
•  Republic of China – President Ma Ying-jeou said, "We are worried about the developments in Hong Kong. We are very concerned about how it will affect Hong Kong's future as well as China's international image." Ma expressed his understanding and support for Hong Kong residents' demand for universal suffrage, and said the realisation of universal suffrage will be a win-win scenario for both Hong Kong and mainland China. The Democratic Progressive Party of Taiwan also issued a statement, expressing the Party's support for pursuit of democracy in Hong Kong.

•  United Kingdom – The United Kingdom said it was concerned by the heavy response in Hong Kong and that it is monitoring events carefully. Prime Minister David Cameron said on Tuesday he was deeply concerned about clashes in Hong Kong between riot police and thousands of pro-democracy protesters. He said he feels a deep obligation as UK was the former sovereignty state of Hong Kong. "When we reached the agreement with China there were details of that agreement about the importance of giving the Hong Kong people a democratic future within this two systems approach that we were setting out with the Chinese so of course I am deeply concerned about what is happening and I hope this issue can be resolved," Cameron said. Deputy Prime Minister and Lord President of the Council Nick Clegg tweeted supporting the protests and acknowledging the UK's continued commitment to the Sino-British Joint Declaration and the "One Country, Two Systems" policy. The Foreign Office called on Hong Kong to uphold residents' rights to demonstrate, and stated that the best way to guarantee these rights is through transition to universal suffrage. The United Kingdom has also issued a travel alert.
•  United States – White House spokesman Josh Earnest said, "The United States supports universal suffrage in Hong Kong in accordance with the Basic Law and we support the aspirations of the Hong Kong people. We believe in an open society, with the highest possible degree of autonomy and governed by the rule of law, is essential for Hong Kong's stability and prosperity." Earnest further stated the position of chief executive in Hong Kong would be given more credibility if the people could freely choose its candidates for the job. The United States has also issued a travel alert. US President Barack Obama told Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday that the United States was watching protests in Hong Kong closely and urged a peaceful solution to the issue.
•  Vietnam - The Foreign Ministry's Spokesperson Le Hai Binh said these were "internal affairs for China."

Rallies and petitions

Rallies in support of the protests have occurred in locations including: Vancouver, Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, New York City, London, Manchester, Perth, Canberra, Sydney, Toronto, Kaohsiung, Melbourne, Adelaide, Kuala Lumpur, Berlin, Mostar, Macau, Paris, Dublin, Seattle, Auckland, Copenhagen and Stockholm. A group of supporters in Ferguson, Missouri, where protests had recently occurred in response to the police shooting of an unarmed man, held up signs in Chinese to express their solidarity with Hong Kong demonstrators. Petitions in Australia and to the White House urging support for the protests have collected more than 500 and 183,000 signatures respectively. In Taipei, locals organised a solidarity protest, whose participants were reported to have scuffled with Taiwanese police after crowding a Hong Kong trade office. On 1 October, a gathering in Liberty Square drew over 10,000 people in support of the protests. In Singapore, hundreds of people turned up for the candlelight vigil held at Hong Lim Park on 1 October to show support for the demonstrators in the Occupy Central protest in Hong Kong.

Foreign media

The incident has captured the attention of American and European media after the clearance and arrests outside the Central Government Complex. BBC reported that the Hong Kong Police had cleared away democracy activists. According to the officials of Occupy Central, the police used pepper spray and unnecessary violence against protesters without prior warning. In addition, CNN released a news report stating that the police responded towards protesters with pepper spray who tried to cross to the Central Government Complex, which subsequently resulted in the student leaders protesting peacefully at the Civic Square being arrested.

International support for the movement is increasing, and the movement itself is taking shape in a more structured manner, even with its own logo for the protest. The 'Umbrella revolution' symbol is being shared on Twitter throughout the world. A photo of a man holding an umbrella in the tear gas smoke has been likened to as the new Tank Man by the Western media.

Chinese dissent

Bao Tong, the former secretary of Premier Zhao Ziyang, was interviewed by BBC regarding the protest. Tong made some comparisons of the event to the 1989 Tiananmen protest. He then admitted "the concept of fake universal suffrage certainly didn't exist back then. Without a doubt if Premier Zhao Ziyang was still alive, his idea of universal suffrage would be interpreted where everyone in the public votes. It is not this special election type vote." Bao Tong hopes that today's PRC leaders can set the record straight. Otherwise if they carried out the wrong decision where HK citizens don't rule themselves, Deng Xiaoping's decision will become something fake.

Gallery

• Protesters block a main road
• 27 September at Tim Mei Avenue rally
• Umbrellas used as defence
• Protesters block MTR exit Protesters block MTR exit
• Queensway is occupied
• Red Cross volunteers offer medical service
• Protesters outside Admiralty Centre
• Protesters standing under the Central Government Offices
• Hong Kong police using tear gas to disperse the protesters
• Demonstrators erecting fences to prevent police clearance
• The tent city on 1 October
• Eastbound carriageway of Gloucester Road, Wan Chai
• 3 October

See also

• Hong Kong 1956 riots
• Hong Kong 1967 Leftist riots
• Hong Kong 1981 riots

References

1. ^ "Hong Kong's students want you to stop calling their protest a 'revolution'". The Washington Post. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
2. ^ "Hong Kong Protest Rally With Benny Tai, Joshua Wong Addressing Crowd". Time. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
3. ^ "Hong Kong protesters poised to occupy buildings if leader won't budge". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 1 October 2014. Retrieved 4 October 2014. Cite error: The named reference "cbc.ca" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
4. ^ Buckley, Chris; Ramzy, Austin; Wong, Edward (3 October 2014). "Violence Erupts in Hong Kong as Protesters Are Assaulted". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 October 2014.
5. ^ "OCCUPY CENTRAL - DAY EIGHT: Full coverage of the day's events". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
6. Jethro Mullen; Catherine E. Shoichet (29 September 2014). "Hong Kong protesters dig in and brace for possible crackdown". CNN. Retrieved 29 September 2014.
7. "全国人民代表大会常务委员会关于香港特别行政区行政长官普选问题和2016年立法会产生办法的决定". Retrieved 3 October 2014.
8. "Thousands of Hong Kong students start week-long boycott". BBC News. Retrieved 29 September 2014.
9. "Scholarism's Joshua Wong released at High Court judge's instruction". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
10. "Hong Kong democracy protesters enter government complex". BBC News. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
11. ^ "Hong Kong police clear pro-democracy protesters". BBC News. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
12. "Hong Kong protesters remain but allow workers to pass - CNN". CNN. 5 October 2014. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
13. ^ "如何化解還看習近平". Apple Daily (in Chinese). 30 September 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
14. "Hong Kong: #umbrellarevolution, anatomie d'un hashtag". Slate. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
15. "HK police surprise protesters with tear gas". The New Paper. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
16. "Hong Kong protests in pictures: The 'Umbrella Revolution'". The Independent. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
17. "'Umbrella Revolution' Protests Spread in Hong Kong". The Huffington Post. 29 September 2014. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
18. Images of Hong Kong’s ‘Umbrella Revolution’ Tell a Story. The New York Times, 29 September 2014.
19. http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1610114/beijings-rallying-cry-hong-kong-and-13-billion-mainlanders. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
20. ^ "Hong Kong's democracy debate". BBC. 23 September 2014. Retrieved 28 September 2014.
21. "The Joint Declaration – ANNEX I". Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau.
22. "Full text of NPC decision on universal suffrage for HKSAR chief selection". Xinhua News Agency. 31 August 2014. Retrieved 31 August 2014.
23. Buckley, Chris & Forsythe, Michael (31 August 2014). "China Restricts Voting Reforms for Hong Kong". The New York Times. Retrieved 31 August 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
24. "'Snitch line' in operation against school boycotters in H.K." GlobalPost. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
25. "Hong Kong Students to Boycott Classes If Democracy Demands Aren't Met". The Wall Street Journal. 21 August 2014. Retrieved 10 September 2014. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |authors= ignored (help)
26. "學民思潮發動926中學生罷課一天". RTHK. 13 September 2014. Retrieved 24 September 2014.
27. http://www.post852.com/遍地開花│流動民主教室今日繼續%E3%80%80吳靄儀李志喜/
28. "Letter of No Objection from the Central District Police". dbc. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
29. Jacobs, Harrison (27 September 2014). "REPORT: Hong Kong's 17-Year-Old 'Extremist' Student Leader Arrested During Massive Democracy Protest". Hong Kong: Business Insider. Retrieved 27 September 2014.
30. "罷課變衝擊 黃之鋒被捕". Ming Pao (in Chinese). 27 September 2014. Retrieved 28 September 2014.
31. Campbell, Charlie; Barber, Elizabeth (27 Sep 2014). "Pro-Democracy Students Storm Government Square in Hong Kong". Time
32. http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?we_cat=21&art_id=149931&sid=43069489&con_type=1&d_str=20140929&fc=10
33. "Scholarism's Joshua Wong released". Retrieved 5 October 2014.
34. "Police arrest 61 people for unlawful assembly". 7thspace. Archived from the original on 3 October 2014. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
35. "Hong Kong protest leaders: Who are the people behind the movement?". Toronto Star. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
36. "Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters jam city streets". CNN. 28 September 2014. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
37. "佔中正式啟動 特首仍未發言". South China Morning Post (in Chinese). Retrieved 3 October 2014.
38. "Hong Kong 'Occupy' leader Benny Tai admits protest out of control amid traffic paralysis". The Straits Times. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
39. "Occupy Central Launches Hong Kong Protest Campaign". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 29 September 2014.
40. "OCLP | Manifesto". Occupy Central with Love and Peace. Retrieved 29 September 2014.
41. "At least 34 injured as police and protesters clash in Hong Kong". CNN. 28 September 2014. Retrieved 28 September 2014.
42. "打游擊反包圍攻陷金鐘". Oriental Daily (in Chinese). Retrieved 29 September 2014.
43. "First night of Occupy Central: My six hours in Admiralty". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 29 September 2014.
44. "Police fired at least 3 teargas canisters". Apple Daily. Retrieved 29 September 2014.
45. ^ "Police fire tear gas and baton charge thousands of Occupy Central protesters". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 29 September 2014.
46. "BBC News - Hong Kong: Protesters defiant amid stand-off". BBC News. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
47. ^ "LIVE REPORT: Crowds grow as city gears up for second night of protests; National Day fireworks cancelled". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 29 September 2014.
48. Li, Xueying (29 September 2014). "Hong Kong protest spreads to new site across harbour, Mongkok in Kowloon". The Straits Times. Retrieved 29 September 2014.
49. "Hong Kong Police Use of Tear Gas on Pro-Democracy Protesters Is Questioned". The Wall Street Journal. 29 September 2014. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
50. "Yung, Chester. Carrie Lam: Hong Kong to Delay Discussions on Political Reform", The Wall Street Journal. 29 September 2014.
51. "Paul Zimmerman: 'Why I took umbrella to China National Day in HK'". BBC News. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
52. "Red (Faced) China—Hong Kong mocks on". New York Post. 2 October 2014. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
53. "Hong Kong lawmaker Paul Zimmerman talks to the media while holding a yellow umbrella, a symbol of the Hong Kong pro-democracy movement, at the reception to mark China's National Day in Hong Kong on October 1, 2014". Yahoo News. 1 October 2014. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
54. "Beijing Suspends HK group tour visas". RTHK news. 2 October 2014. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
55. ^ "Occupy Central - Day Seven: Full coverage of the day's events". South China Morning Post.
56. "Hong Kong Leader Offers Talks With Protesters". The Wall Street Journal. 2 October 2014. Retrieved 4 October 2014.
57. ^ "LIVE: 19 arrested, 18 injured after 'triads' attack Mong Kok protest site". South China Morning Post. 4 October 2014. Retrieved 4 October 2014.
58. ^ "Occupy Central - Day Six: Full coverage of the day's events". South China Morning Post. 3 October 2014. Retrieved 4 October 2014.
59. "Hong Kong clashes continue in Mong Kok". CNN. 3 October 2014. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
60. "Hong Kong: Women and girls attacked as police fail to protect peaceful protesters". Amnesty International. 3 October 2014. Retrieved 4 October 2014.
61. "Hong Kong protests: Student leaders postpone talks". BBC. 3 October 2014. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
62. ^ http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1610234/protesters-admiralty-divided-time-runs-out-cy-leungs-demand
63. ^ http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/hong-kong-protesters-pull-back-to-open-streets-to-workers-1.2788120
64. ^ South China Morning Post http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1610472/live-students-prepare-dialogue-hong-kongs-commuters-rush-work-early. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
65. "Joanna Chiu, "Hong Kong street brawl reveals limits of protest leadership ", Al Jazeera, 4 October 2014". Retrieved 6 October 2014.
66. ^ Popovic, Srdja; Porell, Tori (1 October 2014). "The World's Politest Protesters". Retrieved 3 October 2014.
67. "Clean and orderly, but a protest nonetheless". Today. 2 October 2014. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
68. "Hong Kong protests: Demonstrators clean up and recycle after night of clashes with police". The Independent. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
69. Dissanayake, Samantha (30 September 2014). "Things that could only happen in a Hong Kong protest". BBC News. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
70. "Hong Kong: Protesters 'cleaning up' after peaceful night". BBC News. 30 September 2014. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
71. Chittley, Jordan (1 October 2014). "Hong Kong protesters orderly, polite in push for democracy". CTV News. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
72. "Protesters Are Targets Of Scrutiny Through Their Phones". The New York Times.
73. “FireChat, la app que ayuda a los manifestantes de Hong Kong”, ], 5 October 2014
74. "BBC News - #BBCtrending: Hong Kong's 'off-grid' protesters". BBC News. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
75. Wendy Tang. "Texting apps required gear for Hong Kong protests". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
76. josh rudolph (28 September 2014). "Minitrue: Delete Harmful Information on Hong Kong". China Digital Times. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
77. James Griffiths (29 September 2014). "'Doomed' protests will not change Beijing's decision on political reform, warns Chinese state paper". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
78. PAUL CARSTEN (29 September 2014). "China censors try to blunt Hong Kong protests, don't always succeed". Reuters. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
79. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/01/world/asia/chinese-web-censors-struggle-with-hong-kong-protest.html
80. CLARE BALDWIN AND JOHN RUWITCH (Sep 30, 2014). "Hong Kong protests approach potential National Day flashpoint". Reuters. Retrieved October 2014. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
81. ^ "Their Only Option Is Independence". Foreign Policy. 1 October 2014. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
82. "香港佔中 中國怪罪台灣太陽花學運". Retrieved 5 October 2014.
83. "没有人比全体中国人更关心香港的前途命运". People's Daily. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
84. "珍惜良好发展局面 维护香港繁荣稳定". People's Daily. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
85. "Beijing just sent a chilling message to Hong Kong's umbrella revolution". Quartz. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
86. "Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visits U.S." Xinhua News Agency. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
87. "Readout of National Security Advisor Susan E. Rice's Meeting with Foreign Minister Wang Yi". The White House. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
88. "Hong Kong protests; EU 'concerned', urges restraint'". The Straits Times. 3 October 2014. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
89. "U.N. chief urges respect for democratic principles in Hong Kong". 30 September 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
90. Hong Kong:Travel Advice, Australian Government, retrieved 1 October 2014, This Advice was last issued on Wednesday, 01 Octoberu 2014. This advice has been reviewed and reissued with updated information in the Summary and under Safety and Security (large numbers of pro-democracy protesters continue to gather in the Central and Admiralty districts of Hong Kong island. Small numbers of protesters have also gathered in Causeway Bay (Hong Kong island) and in Mongkok and Tsim Sha Tsui on the Kowloon peninsula. Police have deemed the protests illegal, but have ceased crowd-dispersal measures. There is continuing disruption to traffic and public transport in affected areas. The MTR underground transport system continues to operate. We recommend that Australians find alternative routes through the city, avoid large public demonstrations, and monitor local media to keep abreast of latest developments). We continue to advise Australians to exercise normal safety precautions in Hong Kong.
91. ^ Alex Kleiderman; Khanim Javadova; Yaroslav Lukov; Julia Macfarlane; Anna Jones; Tessa Wong. "As it happened: Hong Kong protests". BBC News. Retrieved 29 September 2014. As well as the UK, travel alerts have been issued by the US, Australia and Singapore.
92. Davey, Melissa (1 October 2014). "Hong Kong protests: demonstrations across Australia show support". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 1 October 2014.
93. Chase, Steven (29 September 2014). "Ottawa 'supportive' of demonstrations in Hong Kong". The Globe and Mail.
94. "Hong Kong protests: France 'closely following' situation, stresses right to protest peacefully". Retrieved 3 October 2014.
95. http://www.esteri.it/MAE/IT/Sala_Stampa/ArchivioNotizie/Comunicati/2014/09/20140930_HongKongdialogo.htm
96. "Japan supports Hong Kong's free, open system: spokesman". GlobalPost. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
97. "THE CURRENT SITUATION IN HONG KONG SAR". Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Malaysia. 1 October 2014. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
98. Fabunan, Sara Susanne D. (30 September 2014). "Pinoys told to stay clear of HK protest". The Manila Standard Today.
99. "Russian State Media Portray Hong Kong Protests as U.S. Plot". The Wall Street Journal. 30 September 2014. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
100. "Russian state television says Britain and US provoked Hong Kong protests". The Daily Telegraph. 30 September 2014. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
101. "PM Lee comments on Occupy Central, Tan Pin Pin documentary". Channel NewsAsia. 3 October 2014. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
102. "Ma Ying-jeou: 'One country, one system'". Al Jazeera. 29 September 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
103. Huang, Kelven; Low, Y.F. (29 September 2014). "Ma urges Beijing to listen to Hong Kongers' voices". Central News Agency. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
104. Chen, Ted (1 October 2014). "Ruling and opposition parties express stances on Hong Kong protests". China Post. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
105. "Standing Strong with Hong Kong". Democratic Progressive Party. 30 September 2014. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
106. "Hong Kong: China Warns UK Not To 'Interfere'". Sky News. 29 September 2014. Retrieved 29 September 2014.
107. "Cameron says deeply concerned about Hong Kong clashes". Retrieved 3 October 2014.
108. "Hong Kong protests: UK 'concerned' about situation". BBC News. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
109. "Foreign Office monitoring events in Hong Kong". GOV.UK. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
110. "Hong Kong protests: Thousands defy calls to go home". BBC News. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
111. "US urges Hong Kong authorities to show 'restraint' amid protests". Channel NewsAsia. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
112. "Vietnamese advised to avoid protest sites in Hong Kong". GOVERNMENT OF THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIET NAM. chinhphu. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
113. ^ Iyengar, Rishi (29 September 2014). "Global Support Pours in for Hong Kong Democracy Protests". Time.
114. "萬人站出來挺港人　自由廣場手機燈海". Apple Daily (in Chinese). Retrieved 3 October 2014.
115. MING EN, SIAU (2 October 2014). "S'poreans show support for protesters at Hong Lim". TODAY.
116. Tania Branigan. "Tens of thousands join pro-democracy protest in Hong Kong". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 September 2014.
117. "Hong Kong: Tear gas and clashes at democracy protest". BBC News. Retrieved 29 September 2014.
118. "Rubber Bullet Fears Amid Protests in Hong Kong". Sky News. Retrieved 29 September 2014.
119. Hong Kong's pro-democracy protests grow amid sit-in. Retrieved 29 September 2014
120. "This is the Iconic Hong Kong Photo the World Will Never Forget". Business Insider. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
121. ^ "鮑彤籲學生撤離 指假普選背棄鄧小平". 5 October 2014. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
122. ^ "鮑彤籲學生撤離 指假普選違鄧小平原意". 6 October 2014. Retrieved 6 October 2014.

External links

Media related to 2014 Hong Kong protests at Wikimedia Commons

• "Hong Kong: Live Coverage of Occupy Central". South China Morning Post. 29 September 2014. Retrieved 29 September 2014.

Template:Ongoing protests Template:Anti-government protests in the 21st century

• 2014 in Hong Kong
• 2014 protests
• Hong Kong democracy movement
• Occupy movement
• Politics of Hong Kong
• Protests in Hong Kong
• Student protests in Hong Kong