Written by Emma Roberts, Illustration by Emily Wachter
On September 26, 2014, Hong Kong students led a strike against the government, demanding change after recent reforms to their election system. The changes would restrict who would be allowed to run for Chief Executive, effectively allowing only pro-China candidates. The protests escalated as time went on, resulting in nearly 100,000 people protesting at any given moment, and nearly two months of student occupation of city centers.
Background
In 1997, Hong Kong was returned to China after being a British colony for over a century. The agreement put in place became known as ‘one country, two systems’ where Hong Kong would retain their self-governance and civil liberties, while mainland China would provide defense and handle foreign relations. This agreement is set to expire in 2047, after which Hong Kong would be absorbed into mainland China. Efforts have been put in place to restrict the autonomy of Hong Kong in the meantime, including only allowing candidates selected by Beijing for Hong Kong’s local government (source).
The month of September
Several small protests were organized in the beginning of September after the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (SCNPC) issued their decision regarding the Hong Kong electoral system. On September 1, about 100 people gathered to protest their decision. 19 of them were arrested for illegally assembling (source).
Student activism groups Scholarism and the Hong Kong Federation of Students (HKFS) organized a student strike starting on September 22. Roughly 13,000 students gathered at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Organizers also planned protests in Tamar Park, an urban park close to Hong Kong’s Central Government Complex. On the night of September 26, protesters clashed with police, and pepper spray was used against protesters. Several dozen protesters were arrested.
Another pro-democracy group, Occupy Central with Love and Peace (OCLP), intended to start their occupation on October 1, but preceding events lead them to start earlier. On September 28, their rally commenced near the Central Government Complex. Throughout the day, tens of thousands gathered at the site, spilling into nearby roads and bringing traffic to a halt. As night fell, police began displaying signs saying “DISPERSE OR WE FIRE” (source). Tensions escalated throughout the night and 87 tear gas canisters were fired into the crowd. Reports also indicated that police charged into protesters, and 34 protesters were injured that day (source). Students and protesters raised an ultimatum demanding universal suffrage and unscreened political nominees.
The Month of October
Protests continued into October. On October 1, several Scholarism students attended the National Day flag raising ceremony, opening yellow umbrellas and facing away in protest. These yellow umbrellas became a symbol of resistance, and gave way to the term ‘Umbrella Revolution’. On October 2, the government responded to the ultimatum, agreeing to talk with student organizers. The day after, protest sites in Mong Kok and Causeway Bay —busy shopping and urban centers — were targeted by counter protesters. Tents and barricades were destroyed and dismantled. Protesters and journalists were also attacked in the night. Talks to resolve the situation were halted, and eventually called off, on October 9 (source). On October 10, tens of thousands set up tents in Harcourt Road, a major highway in the large financial district of Admiralty. Food and first aid was also provided in the zone, and more protesters had gathered by October 11 (source).
Efforts were made on October 12 to remove the tents in Admiralty, and tear gas was used against protesters. Further efforts were made to remove protesters from multiple sites for the next few days.
On October 15, a video went viral showing Ken Tsang, a member of the pro-democracy Civic Party, being beaten, dragged and assaulted by several plainclothes police officers (source). Emboldened and outraged, protests increased in size and clashes with police continued for the next several days.
Protests continued throughout late October, including the potential for a second round of talks and the display of a massive yellow banner on Lion Rock — a symbol of Hong Kong’s spirit — demanding “genuine universal suffrage” (source).
Support and Opposition
Support for the pro-democracy protesters varied within Hong Kong and mainland China. Many within Hong Kong supported the cause, and adopted yellow and umbrellas as a symbol of support and resistance. Pro-democracy groups condemned the police and their excessive use of force. Still, there were significant counter protesters within Hong Kong. Wearing blue was seen as a symbol of supporting the Hong Kong police. Some pro-Beijing officials postured that the protests were the result of outside foreign influences (source).
International support was largely in favor of the pro-democracy protesters. Many countries such as Japan, Taiwan, the United Kingdom and the United States supported the protests, but encouraged restraint on both sides. The European Union expressed similar concerns (source).
The Months of November and December
A number of demonstrations and clashes occurred during November, including the Legislative Council Complex being broken into via a side entrance on November 19 (source).
Despite the support the protestors had, many began to question how long the protests would last, and what would happen when they ended. Efforts had stalled, talks with government organizations fell through multiple times, and popular opinion were beginning to turn against the Umbrella Revolution. The main protest sites in Admiralty and Mong Kok had been cleared, and leadership within student groups began to raise concerns about the future of the movement.
On December 3, members of the OCLP turned themselves in to police to face the consequences of their civil disobedience, but were released shortly after. On December 11, the Admiralty site was set to be cleared, and most left. Roughly 200 people resisted, and were later arrested. On December 15, the final protest site at Causeway Bay was cleared, effectively ending the protests (source). None of the demands of students were met.
Aftermath
After the protests ended, many in Hong Kong grew dissatisfied with the Hong Kong Police as well as the local government. Resentment towards Beijing began to grow in Hong Kong, as many believed the mainland government had been influencing the city for decades, ignoring the one country two systems policy.
Clashes with government and police have continued throughout the years, as have measures to restrict Hong Kong’s independence. Most notably, massive pro-democracy protests erupted in March 2019 after an extradition bill was introduced. Many saw this as an attack on Hong Kong’s independence, and tens of thousands protested and marched against the bill (source).
As of October 2020, when this article was written, the protests in Hong Kong are still ongoing.
Conclusion
The Umbrella Revolution was one of a series of protests throughout the new millennium regarding the independence of Hong Kong. Many of the concerns raised by the movement regarding fair elections, independence of government and excessive police brutality are still concerns within Hong Kong and throughout the world. Though the movement may not have been successful in its goals, the Umbrella Revolution’s message prevails in movements throughout the world, including once again in Hong Kong.
