Occupy Central
Occupy Central is a civil disobedience movement which began in Hong Kong on September 28, 2014. It calls on thousands of protesters to block roads and paralyse Hong Kong's financial district if the Beijing and Hong Kong governments do not agree to implement universal suffrage for the chief executive election in 2017 and the Legislative Council elections in 2020 according to "international standards." The movement was initiated by Benny Tai Yiu-ting (戴耀廷), an associate professor of law at the University of Hong Kong, in January 2013.
Umbrella Movement
The Umbrella Movement (Chinese: 雨傘運動; pinyin: yǔsǎn yùndòng) is a loose political movement that was created spontaneously during the Hong Kong protests of 2014. Its name derives from the recognition of the umbrella as a symbol of defiance and resistance against the Hong Kong government, and the united grass-roots objection to the decision of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPCSC) of 31 August.
The movement consists of individuals numbering in the tens of thousands who participated in the protests that began on 28 September 2014, although Scholarism, the Hong Kong Federation of Students, Occupy Central with Love and Peace, groups are principally driving the demands for the rescission of the NPCSC decision.
The movement consists of individuals numbering in the tens of thousands who participated in the protests that began on 28 September 2014, although Scholarism, the Hong Kong Federation of Students, Occupy Central with Love and Peace, groups are principally driving the demands for the rescission of the NPCSC decision.
Occupy Central site in an area surrounding the Legislative Council and Central Government Offices at Tamar were cleared 22-06-2015.
Hong Kong reform vote
The Hong Kong government’s political reform proposal for how the city elects its leader by universal suffrage for the first time in 2017 is based on a strict framework set by Beijing. The plan limits the number of candidates to two or three and requires them to win majority support from a 1,200 strong nominating committee. Arguing that this does not constitute genuine universal suffrage, pan-democratic lawmakers have vowed to reject the package, while pro-democracy groups have protested. The government’s resolution was to be put to a vote by the 70-member Legislative Council in June 2015, requiring a two-thirds majority to be passed.
POST OCCUPY CENTRAL - DAY 286
POST REFORM VOTE：DAY 101 (27-09-2015)
POST REFORM VOTE：DAY 101 (27-09-2015)
Full coverage of the day’s events
Coconuts HKFrontline
Pro-democracy Mong Kok protesters march back to Admiralty for Occupy commemoration
Around 40 “Gau Wu” protesters marched from Mong Kok to Admiralty on Saturday night to commemorate the anniversary of pro-democracy Occupy protests.
Jordan Chan, one of the organisers, told HKFP that “more people usually come out to protest on Saturdays, and we did not want to clash with commemoration events by other organisations on September 27 or 28.”
The rally started at around 7pm. Protesters chanted: “Remember our goal [of true democracy], walk hand in hand, we will be back in Admiralty together!” along the route.
Protesters passing through Tsim Sha Tsui. Photo: HKFP.
The protesters moved on to Tsim Sha Tsui and boarded the Star Ferry to Central.
Protesters on the Star Ferry. Photo: HKFP.
Demonstrators said they intended to use the slogan “retake the Civic Square”, which was stormed on the same day last year – an event that kickstarted the 79-day Occupy protests. The group, however, had previously told police that they did not intend to storm the square in an application letter for the event’s approval.
Protesters joked about “retaking Civic Square”. Photo: HKFP.
Outside the legislature, protesters urged the government to reopen the square, calling it “Admiralty Prison” as it was fenced-off and guarded.
“It belongs to the Hong Kong people, it was built with our tax money, we have the right to get inside to protest,” a protester surnamed Chin said, “This government only knows how to destroy things but not use them in the right way.”
Protesters gathered at Civic Square for a speech. Photo: HKFP.
Coloured balls were then thrown at effigies of China Liaison Director Zhang Xiaoming, Chief Secretary Carrie Lam, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying and Secretary for Justice Rimsky Yuen in protest.
The officials were depicted as prisoners, in reference to the protesters calling Civic Square a prison.
Booths set up near the square demanded genuine universal suffrage for Hong Kong’s Chief Executive and the legislature.
Booth near Civic Square demanding genuine universal suffrage for Chief Executive and the LegCo. Photo: HKFP.
Art installations also appeared on the road nearby to commemorate the anniversary. The march ended at around 10 pm.
“Be back soon 928” one of the installation said. Photo: HKFP.
New invasion
On nearby Harcourt Road, a new example of “Space Invader” style art was found near the Central Government Complex. A yellow space invader reappeared holding a yellow umbrella, a symbol of the Occupy protests.
On nearby Harcourt Road, a new example of “Space Invader” style art was found near the Central Government Complex. A yellow space invader reappeared holding a yellow umbrella, a symbol of the Occupy protests.
The French artist Invader installed an art piece last year in Admiralty that featured the same image.
New ‘Space Invader’ style art. Photo: HKFP.
A sticker next to the art piece was apparently from a “Space Invader” exhibition held in Hong Kong in May.
Sticker next to the New ‘Space Invader’ style art. Photo: HKFP.
The “Gau Wu” protesters started to gather in Mong Kok nightly after the pro-democracy Occupy protest camps were cleared in Mong Kok in November last year.
The movement was nicknames “Gau Wu” — Mandarin for shopping — as protesters claimed they were in Mong Kok to shop. It followed a call from Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying, urging people to help small businesses in Mong Kok affected by Occupy, after the protests were cleared.
Interview: Scholarism’s Agnes Chow urges Hongkongers to adopt new solutions in fight for democracy
As the first anniversary of the pro-democracy Umbrella Movement nears, student activist Agnes Chow of Scholarism has urged Hongkongers to shift their focus away from commemorating the mass protests and instead ponder the way forward in the city’s democratic movement.
In an interview with HKFP, Chow, 18, said that a lot can be learned from last year’s demonstrations, which she called “a failure in terms of result.”
Scholarism core member Agnes Chow talks to HKFP at Tamar Park, Admiralty. Photo: Vivienne Zeng/HKFP.
“We should learn from [our] experience last year and think about what should we do in the future… Like regarding the amendment of the Basic Law, regarding the rewriting of the Basic Law, regarding our road to self-determination in Hong Kong. We should start to use our experience, our failures before, to try to make a better movement in the future.”
Scholarism, one of the most prominent and outspoken student groups during the 79-day Umbrella Movement, has joined other groups to advocate for the amendment of the Basic Law since the city’s constitutional reform package was rejected by the Legislative Council.
Scholarism leaders Joshua Wong and Agnes at a protest in 2014. Photo: Stand News
However, the idea of amending the Basic Law has been criticised as impractical due to the legal complications involved. Chow admitted that it’s a far-away goal to amend Hong Kong’s mini-constitution because any change will have to be made “inside the framework of the government.”
Instead, democracy fighters should think creatively, she said.
“For Scholarism, I think it’s very important to think out of the box, to think out of the whole political system. The first step is to fight for a referendum system in Hong Kong.”
Chow said building an unofficial referendum system which regularly engages the public to vote on issues they care about can help people to understand the true meaning of democracy.
Agnes Chow at a press conference on September 22. Photo: Lukas Messmer/HKFP.
“We want to tell people that democracy is not only elections and not only universal suffrage. Democracy includes lots of things, including lifestyle, including how do you decide, how you make decisions in your life… Referendums can really represent the meaning of democracy, or you could say direct democracy, because people can directly voice out their opinions.”
While Scholarism has no concrete plans on how to build the referendum system, the student group as well as the Hong Kong Federation of Students will host forums to discuss the issue with the public, Chow revealed. The first forums will be held outside the legislative compound on September 26-27.
Political Pressure
Chow stepped out of the spotlight midway through the Umbrella Movement last year by resigning as spokesperson of Scholarism. At the time, she said she was facing “heavy pressure” and experiencing “extreme confusion and fatigue.” A year later, she admitted it was “political pressure” that forced her to make the decision, but she refused to elaborate on what exactly she encountered.
“This pressure did not come from my school, not from my friends, not the pan-democrats, not the media, but real political pressure. So I had no choice at that time and I had to quit.”
Scholarism leaders Agnes Chow and Joshua Wong during the Umbrella Movement. Photo: Stand News
Quitting the high-profile position make her life easier, Chow said, adding the situation got even better after the protests ended. But now she has to face the legal fallout of joining the civil disobedience action. In January, she received a call from the police telling her she will be arrested on a later date. At the time she told her fans on Facebook that she was “very scared” but would not quit partaking in pro-democracy social movements.
The 18-year-old is not facing any charges at the moment but some of her friends, including Scholarism leader Joshua Wong, have been charged with unlawful assembly, inciting others to take part in unlawful assembly and obstructing police.
Chow said she’s mentally prepared to be arrested again or even jailed, but she could not imagine her friends or family being politically targeted because of her. “If somehow my participation [in social movements], under such kind of terrible regime, affects the people around me, it will be a very terrible thing for me.”
Another Mass Movement?
A year after Hong Kong saw its longest running mass demonstration, many have wondered whether it could ever happen again. Chow acknowledged that some may feel hopeless after the protests failed to achieve any tangible results – but she is not disheartened.
“Some people say we should use more violence… In my opinion I will still believe in the power of social movements.”
Agnes Chow stands at the Civic Square in Admiralty during last year’s Umbrella Movement. Photo: Joey Kwok
The student activist said she believes the public can be mobilised again to join a mass movement, but it will not necessarily take the form of an occupation, and it won’t happen in the near future.
“We should continue to promote our ideas, promote our targets and goals to the general public. And when the public truly understands what we are fighting for, what our target is, what we really want to do – maybe it’ll already be half a year, or a year from now. ”
“I believe that, in this situation, in this near-dictatorship of this country, and also in Hong Kong, we have a very undemocratic government that seldom listens to people’s opinions. And we only have rights to vote for half of our legislative council. In this kind of situation, people will stand up and fight again.”
沒有留言:
張貼留言