Occupy Central

First Occupy Site Cleared As Angry Hong Kong Protesters Stand Watch

November 27, 2014 Samuel Chan, Ernest Kao and Chris Lau, www.scmp.com Resist! China, Hong Kong, Occupy Central, Protests

Hong Kong bailiffs tasked to enforce a court order against a key protest camp have successfully torn down barricades at an intersection in Mong Kok, after a tense face-off with pro-democracy demonstrators. The 20-man "removal team" cleared the juction of Argyle Street and Nathan Road in just 45 minutes. They cut the plastic cordons, tape and strong adhesives that held the barricades in place, and confiscated wooden pallets, fencing and umbrellas. With the barricades cleared at around 11.15am, the bailiffs breached the protest zone and moved to dismantle remaining tents. Police officers, deployed to assist the bailiffs if necessary, formed a line at the intersection to prevent demonstrators from reoccupying the area. Minutes later, some officers, yelling "Open the road", began pushing back protesters in an apparent attempt to clear a passage for debris to be carried away to a waiting truck.

Thousands Flood Hong Kong District After Clashes With Police

November 27, 2014 Philip Ross www.ibtimes.com Resist! China, Hong Kong, Occupy Central, Protests

Thousands of protesters flooded Hong Kong’s busy commercial neighborhood of Mong Kok Tuesday night after police attempted to disperse demonstrators camped out there, the New York Times reported. Tensions mounted as authorities confronted pro-democracy protesters with pepper spray and tried to force them back onto Nathan Road, a bustling tourist area occupied by protesters since demonstrations began in late September. The number of pro-democracy demonstrators in Hong Kong has dwindled from more than 100,000 at its peak to just a few hundred. Tuesday night’s flood of demonstrators marked a resurgence of support, but it was unclear how long the new wave of protesters would stay in the area.

Hong Kong May Start Clearing City-Center Demonstrators

November 18, 2014 Vinicy Chan and Natasha Khan, www.bloomberg.com Resist! China, Hong Kong, Occupy Central

Hong Kong’s government may today clear some of the city-center obstructions erected by pro-democracy protesters, as public support for the student-led movement ebbs after almost two months of demonstrations. Police will help court bailiffs to enforce a civil injunction against protesters blocking entrance into the Citic Tower in the Admiralty district, according to apress release posted on the government’s website yesterday. The court order doesn’t cover the main tent city the protesters have set up. Attempts to impede the bailiffs may render protesters liable to charges of criminal contempt of court and police will take “resolute action” against violence, the government said. The statement makes no mention of plans to clear barricades in theMong Kok district across the harbor, which are the target of separate injunctions.

Hong Kong Protests: Inside Occupy Central’s Tent City

November 13, 2014 Mark Hanrahan, www.ibtimes.com Petitions and Online Actions China, Democracy, Hong Kong, Occupy Central, Protests

Local police who may be planning to clear pro-democracy protesters from the streets will have a big job if they do. Aside from the demonstrators occupying roads around Hong Kong, a veritable tent city has sprung up with artwork, a café and a study center to support a relatively small but dedicated community of protesters. Though the number of protesters has fallen significantly since demonstrations began Sept. 28, there are now thousands of tents at the main protest site in the city's central district. A census conducted by the Occupy movement Tuesday estimated that there are 2,197 tents currently in the area around Hong Kong's government headquarters. As protesters prepare for a possible crackdown by police, student leaders are still appearing at what has come to be known as "Umbrella Square," the main stage at the central protest site, to encourage supporters.

Occupy Democracy Brings London A Blast From Its Past

October 27, 2014 Kate Aronoff, www.wagingnonviolence.org Resist! Democracy, Freedom of Speech and Assembly, London, Occupy Central

Inspired partially by Occupy Central in Hong Kong, London’s newly formed Occupy Democracy is being called a revival of Occupy London, which for a brief time in 2011 served as a major center of the global Occupy movement. The new occupation began shortly after an 80,000-person march organized by the country’s Trade Union Congress, though it has not been involved with Occupy Democracy in any official capacity. According to organizer Phil England, the idea for the occupation came in March, when a general assembly of Occupy London decided to embark on “a campaign for real democracy [in the United Kingdom].” Demonstrators have been camping out since October 17, and intend to stay until Sunday. As in Hong Kong, organizers are looking to build a movement for truly representative democracy.

Hong Kong Students Push Back Against Police

October 18, 2014 Joyce Ng, Gary Cheung, Peter So, Fanny W.Y. Fung, Timmy Sung, Chris Lau, Raquel Carvalho and Eddie Lee, www.scmp.com Resist! Democracy, Hong Kong, Occupy, Occupy Central

Just hours after police moved in to clear the Mong Kong Kok Occupy site, more than a thousand protesters poured back into the district, clashing with police. Fresh trouble broke out near the government headquarters in Lung Wo Road in Admiralty. By the early hours of this morning, a section of Nathan Road in Mong Kok was occupied by protesters as police moved to stop them blocking the junction with Argyle Street again. Riot police used pepper spray and batons in a bid to drive back the protesters and the clashes led to a number of arrests. Among them was award-winning international photo-journalist Paula Bronstein, who was detained after jumping onto a car to take pictures. Her arrest was later condemned by the Foreign Correspondents Club. The trouble flared after officials said earlier in the day they were looking for a way to secure a meeting between Chief Secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-Ngor and representatives of the Federation of Students - which has been tentatively set for Tuesday at the Academy of Medicine in Aberdeen.

Students Ready For Return Of Police With Chain Saws

October 14, 2014 Alfred Liu and Jasmine Ng, www.bloomberg.com Resist! China, Democracy, Hong Kong, Occupy Central, Umbrella Revolution

Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters girded themselves for an anticipated showdown with police who earlier used chain saws and sledgehammers to clear barricades from a major road in the city’s business district. Protesters camped near the city’s main government offices in Admiralty reinforced makeshift barriers during the afternoon after their protest zone was shrunk by police. “This is our last line of defense. We can’t afford to let the police get through,” said Issac Chung, 21, a marketing student, as metal fences were piled up. “I don’t know when the protest will end, but I will stay as long as I can.” Student leaders urged protesters to maintain the blockades for as long as the government ignored their call for talks over China’s plans for city’s 2017 leadership election. Police said they would continue to remove barriers at protest sites including in the district of Mong Kok, north of the city’s harbor.

Hong Kong Update & In-Depth Look At Roots Of Conflict

October 6, 2014 The ROAR Collective, www.roarmag.org Resist! China, Hong Kong, Occupy Central

Hong Kong’s Undersecretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Lau Kong-wah and representatives of the Federation of Students held another round of preparatory talks at the University of Hong Kong campus during the evening of October 6. Both the students and government want talks to go forward this week between the Federation of Students and Chief Secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor. Both sides agree that the talks will be conducted in the open and that it will be a series of talks, not just one meeting which Lau describes as “conducted on an equal and mutually-respectful basis.” The students are seeking a substantive dialogue, not just a casual chat or a consultative session.

Hong Kong: Now The Hard Part, Kick US Out, Build Consensus

October 5, 2014 Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers, www.PopularResistance.org Resist! China, Hong Kong, Occupy Central, Umbrella Revolution

Hong Kong has had two successful revolts against the government prior to these protests. In 2003, protests of 500,000 people stopped the implementation of a national security law that would have undermined civil liberties. And, in 2012 students were able to stop a new curriculum from being put in place that would have emphasized patriotism for China. Many of these students are involved in the current protests. Thus, the people of Hong Kong have experienced political success. The protests today are facing a much more difficult issue, the doctrine of ‘one country, two systems,’ which is at a potential breaking point because the idea of self-governance, real democracy where Beijing does not approve candidates who run for office, challenges Communist Party rule. Activists should not feel like they accomplished nothing if these protests do not immediately gain them the democracy they want. The awakening of a national democracy movement is a major advancement and it is common for successful social movements to go through a mass awakening, followed by no immediate change. After the protests, the job of the movement is to persevere and develop national consensus that cannot be ignored. They must convince the people of Hong Kong and the leadership in Beijing that their vision of real democracy and a fair economy are the best path for the nation.

US Role In Occupy Central Exposed

October 2, 2014 Tony Cartalucci, www.mintpressnews.com Educate! China, Democracy, Occupy Central

The US National Democracy Institute lists an array of ongoing meddling it is carrying out on the island. It states: Since 1997, NDI has conducted a series of missions to Hong Kong to consider the development of Hong Kong’s “post-reversion” election framework, the status of autonomy, rule of law and civil liberties under Chinese sovereignty, and the prospects for, and challenges to democratization. It also claims: In 2005, NDI initiated a six-month young political leaders program focused on training a group of rising party and political group members in political communications skills. And: NDI has also worked to bring political parties, government leaders and civil society actors together in public forums to discuss political party development, the role of parties in Hong Kong and political reform. In 2012, for example, a conference by Hong Kong think tank SynergyNet supported by NDI featured panelists from parties across the ideological spectrum and explored how adopting a system of coalition government might lead to a more responsive legislative process.

Hong Kong Protests Grow In Response To Police Abuse

September 29, 2014 Austin Ramzy and Alan Wong, www.nytimes.com Resist! China, Hong Kong, Occupy Central, police brutality

A wave of protest in Hong Kong extended into the working week on Monday as thousands of residents defied a government call to abandon street blockades across the city, students boycotted classes and the city’s influential bar association added to condemnation of a police crackdown on protesters a day earlier. The continued public resistance underscored the difficulties that the Hong Kong government faces in defusing widespread anger that erupted on Sunday, after the police used tear gas, pepper spray and batons to break up a three-day sit-in by students and other residents demanding democratic elections in the semiautonomous Chinese territory.

What Is Hong Kong’s Occupy Central Movement?

September 23, 2014 BBC, www.bbc.com Resist! China, Democracy, Hong Kong, Occupy Central, Protest

Tensions are high in Hong Kong amid a row about how the city's leader should be elected. Elections are due in 2017 - but the Chinese government has issued a ruling limiting who can stand as a candidate. Democracy campaigners are planning to occupy the city's business district in protest - a move denounced by China. The BBC explains the movement. What does Occupy Central want? Occupy Central with Love and Peace, known as Occupy Central, is a civil disobedience movement proposed by democracy activists in Hong Kong. The campaigners want political reform and democratic elections that meet international standards. They are planning a non-violent occupation of the business district, Central, in response to the Chinese government's ruling against open elections in 2017.

Occupy Central In Hong Kong Begins Civil Resistance Campaign For Democracy

August 30, 2014 Peter So, www.scmp.com Resist! China, Civil Disobedience, Democracy, Hong Kong, Occupy Central

Occupy Central co-founder Benny Tai Yiu-ting says the movement’s supporters will gather on Sunday – after Beijing officially lays down its framework for political reform – to mark the beginning of a “continuous and long-term” civil disobedience campaign. Tai promised the campaign will be peaceful and rational. “If the campaign begins to lose control or violent acts occur, I will stand at the front of the crowd to stop them,” the legal academic added. He told RTHK on Thursday that the finer details of the movement’s “final resort” – a mass sit-in on Central streets – were still under consideration after Beijing on Wednesday laid out a restrictive draft framework for the city’s first popular election of its leader in 2017. But Tai said weekly protests would be held as part of the civil disobedience campaign, and he will shave his head to show the “spirit of sacrifice”. Thousands of university students are expected to boycott classes in mid-September, said Alex Chow Yong-kang, general secretary of the Federation of Students.

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