THE people of Hong Kong, lead by students, but represented by huge numbers of all classes and professions, are demanding democracy from their government and autonomy from their murderous overlords in Beijing. Refusing to be cowed by sometimes brutal attacks by the police, they are not backing down, and have expanded their demands that they be allowed to elect their government democratically to now include the puppet governor c y leung resign. Wednesday, 1 OCT 14 is National Day in the prc, Hong Kong and Macau. The opposition in Hong Kong is so strong the government has announced the cancellation of some of the official celebrations. It will not be a celebration for the autocratic, dictatorial Hong Kong government, no doubt they will be hunkered down in their bunkers working on the details of what will no doubt be a bloody crackdown a la Tiananmen Square in 1989. The protest have been peaceful so far, but if the pla is called in God knows how long the fighting will go on. God Speed Hong Kong OCCUPY CENTRAL Pro-Democracy forces! From +Mother Jones .....
Hong Kong—usually an orderly finance haven—erupted over the weekend
as police used teargas and pepper spray to break up a three-day student
sit-in that occupied the central business district. Thousands of
protesters have deployed umbrellas to protect themselves from the
chemical attack—some people are dubbing it the Umbrella Revolution—and have even picked up the hands-up "don't shoot" gesture from protests in Ferguson, Missouri.
The protests were the culmination of a campaign organized last year by the student group "Occupy Central," calling for free elections and more autonomy for Hong Kong, which is controlled by the Communist Party in Beijing.
At issue are assurances China made to Hong Kong when it took the reins back from Britain in 1997. Under the so-called "one country, two systems" deal, Hong Kong was allowed to keep its common-law system and enjoy greater rights than those on the mainland (where news of the protests has been aggressively censored). By 2017, Hong Kong residents hoped they would be able to elect their own chief executive—the top representative of their so-called Special Administrative Region. But now, China appears to be reneging on the spirit of its deal. President Xi Jinping has firmly rejected open nominations for candidates, and says they will continue to be vetted by a central committee in Beijing.
The government's crackdown has been unsuccessful in dispersing the protesters, who are still out on the streets—and solidarity marches are taking place in cities around the world, including Ferguson. Here's a wrap-up of photos from the weekend.
Teargas and pepper spray aren't silencing protesters' calls for greater autonomy. What's next?
| Mon Sep. 29, 2014 3:35 PM EDT
Hong Kong riot police fire teargas at protesters early on Monday, September 29. Wally Santana/AP
The protests were the culmination of a campaign organized last year by the student group "Occupy Central," calling for free elections and more autonomy for Hong Kong, which is controlled by the Communist Party in Beijing.
At issue are assurances China made to Hong Kong when it took the reins back from Britain in 1997. Under the so-called "one country, two systems" deal, Hong Kong was allowed to keep its common-law system and enjoy greater rights than those on the mainland (where news of the protests has been aggressively censored). By 2017, Hong Kong residents hoped they would be able to elect their own chief executive—the top representative of their so-called Special Administrative Region. But now, China appears to be reneging on the spirit of its deal. President Xi Jinping has firmly rejected open nominations for candidates, and says they will continue to be vetted by a central committee in Beijing.
The government's crackdown has been unsuccessful in dispersing the protesters, who are still out on the streets—and solidarity marches are taking place in cities around the world, including Ferguson. Here's a wrap-up of photos from the weekend.
Police pepper spray activists who forced their way into the government headquarters on Saturday. Apple Daily/AP
Protesters block a police bus on one of Hong Kong's major thoroughfares. Vicnent Yu/AP
Students are using improvised defenses against teargas and pepper spray. Wong Maye-E/AP
Riot police face down protesters. Kyodo/AP
The student-led demonstrations expanded throughout Hong Kong on Monday. Wong Maye-E/AP
Umbrellas. So many umbrellas. Wong Maye-E/AP
A pro-democracy protester refuels in the city's Mongkok district on Monday. Vicent Yu/AP
Protesters flood the central financial district on Sunday. Vincent Yu/AP
Here's why the umbrellas. Vincent Yu/AP
Mark Murrmann
This Stunning Drone Footage Reveals Just How Massive Hong Kong's Protests Really Are
By James West
| Tue Sep. 30, 2014 12:26 PM EDT
Protests in Hong Kong show no sign of stopping, as hundreds of
thousands of demonstrators continue to demand greater autonomy from the
government in Beijing. This video, featured on Storyful, by Nero Chan,
(uploaded to his Facebook account on September 29), offers a glimpse
into the magnitude of the movement. Tomorrow is National Day, a public
holiday across China. Activists say there's a chance the protests
could swell even beyond what you can see in this video.
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