What's happened
As the tenth anniversary of Hong Kong's Umbrella Movement approaches, reflections on its impact reveal a stark contrast to today's political climate. The movement, which began on September 28, 2014, catalyzed a generation's political awakening but has since been met with severe crackdowns on dissent and freedoms.
Why it matters
What the papers say
The Guardian's Helen Davidson reflects on the initial protests, noting how the movement's leaders have been silenced or exiled, stating, 'Protest has been largely criminalized.' In contrast, The Independent highlights the personal reflections of activists like Raphael Wong, who emphasizes the movement's significance in enlightening Hong Kongers about civil disobedience. Meanwhile, SBS News focuses on the legacy of figures like Jimmy Lai, whose activism has become synonymous with the pro-democracy struggle in Hong Kong. The New York Times underscores the transformation of Hong Kong's political landscape, noting that recent convictions under the national security law illustrate the extent of repression, stating, 'Hong Kong now more closely resembles mainland China.' Together, these perspectives illustrate the profound changes in Hong Kong's political environment since the Umbrella Movement.
How we got here
The Umbrella Movement emerged in response to Beijing's refusal to grant universal suffrage in Hong Kong elections. It mobilized thousands in peaceful protests, leading to a significant political awakening among young Hong Kongers. However, subsequent government crackdowns have stifled dissent and led to the imprisonment or exile of many activists.
More on these topics
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Hong Kong, officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, is a metropolitan area and special administrative region of the People's Republic of China on the eastern Pearl River Delta of the South China Sea.
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The Umbrella Movement was a political movement that emerged during the Hong Kong democracy protests of 2014. Its name arose from the use of umbrellas as a tool for passive resistance to the Hong Kong Police's use of pepper spray to disperse the crowd duri
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China, officially the People's Republic of China, is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population of around 1.4 billion in 2019.
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Joshua Wong Chi-fung is a Hong Kong student activist and politician. He served as secretary-general of the pro-democracy party Demosistō until it disbanded following the implementation of the Hong Kong national security law on 30 June 2020.
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Benny Tai Yiu-ting, MH is a Hong Kong legal scholar and democracy activist. He was an Associate Professor of Law at the University of Hong Kong and is known for his initiation of the Occupy Central with Love and Peace, a non-violent civil disobedience cam
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Beijing, alternatively romanized as Peking, is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the world's most populous capital city, with over 21 million residents within an administrative area of 16,410.5 km².