by Tiffany Chau
Courier Staff Writer
The Umbrella Revolution began with the Occupy Central with Love and Peace, a civil disobedience organization led by Benny Tai, who started it on September 28. Tai organized a sit-in at Central, the city’s financial district. Major traffic arteries were blocked as police unsuccessfully attempted to disperse the protesters. Police launched large amounts of tear gas and pepper spray at peaceful protesters, only to attract thousands of additional people onto the streets. The harsh methods used by Hong Kong police received much criticism and disapproval from the public.
After Chinese authorities revoked the promised universal suffrage of 2017, thousands of angered Hong Kong citizens are currently protesting for democracy and political freedom. Beijing’s new decision which dictates that all chief executive candidates selected by Hong Kong citizens must be approved by a Beijing aligned committee has left countless Hong Kong citizens furious. Protesters have been using umbrellas to defend themselves against police tear gas and pepper spray. The umbrellas are being seen as a symbol of the pro-democracy and civil disobedience movement.
Hong Kong students are also engaged in the Umbrella Revolution. Students took part in a week long class boycott that was organized by the Hong Kong Federation of Students and Scholarism. The strikes provoked the police’s excessive use of force; the amount of students participating in civil disobedience and the occupy movement has reached an unprecedented amount.
Many students in Berkeley and San Francisco have gathered to rally support for Hong Kong. A petition to the white house known as “Support Hong Kong Democracy and Prevent A Second Tiananmen Massacre in Hong Kong reads:
“Dear President Obama, we the democracy-loving people living in the US and other parts of the world, urge you to press the Chinese Government to honor its promise of democratic elections to the Hong Kong citizenry”.
The official white house responds: “We are watching the situation in Hong Kong closely. Around the world, the United States supports internationally recognized fundamental freedoms, such as freedom of peaceful assembly and freedom of expression. We urge the Hong Kong authorities to exercise restraint, and for protesters to express their views peacefully.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 that 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 — indeed this is what has made Hong Kong such a successful and truly global city. We have consistently made our position known to Beijing, and we will continue to do so”.
