Umbrella Revolution (Hong Kong Protests)

In September 2014, democratic activists in Hong Kong protested in front of the government building and occupied several large city intersections to protest the decision of the Standing Committee of the All-China People’s Representatives Meeting on the planned election reform in the upcoming Hong Kong elections in 2017. The NPC Standing Committee requires the nomination committee to pre-approve three candidates for the election, before proceeding to the vote with the participation of broad sections of the population. After these elections, an elected head of the executive must be formally appointed by the central government prior to formally taking office.

The protest was preceded by an article ^{[13] of} one of the future leaders of the protest, Professor , published in the Hong Kong Economic Journal on January 16, 2013, where the basic rules of protest actions were outlined: number, mobilization of opinion leaders, recognition of the illegality of their actions , no violence, prior information.

and began to protest outside the government building on September 22, 2014. On the evening of September 26, several hundred demonstrators broke through the protective fences and entered the territory of the Central Government Complex. The police cordoned off the protesters within the courtyard and restricted their movement and forced them out the next day. The protesters were dispersed by the police, and some, including student leader Joshua Wong , were detained. The , one of whose founders was Benny Thai, announced the start of a rally of civil disobedience .

At about noon on September 28, the participants marched on Harcourt Road, and continued to occupy Queensway, as well as block both highways in the northern part of Hong Kong Island. However, the occupation ^{[to clarify ] the} prospectuses were organized neither by a student union, nor by Occupy Central with Love and Peace ^[14] . After several hours of confrontation, the police tried to disperse the crowd with pepper sprays , tear gas and water cannons and warned that they would open fire with rubber bullets if the protesters did not disperse. The result of the use of force was an increase in supporters who joined the protest.

Demonstrators demanded that all candidates be allowed to stand for election and cancel the procedure for preliminary approval of applicants by Beijing ^{[15] [16]} .

The term “Umbrella Revolution” was coined on September 26 on Twitter by New Yorker Adam Cotton to describe the protests, and then widely circulated among the Western media to describe protesters who used umbrellas to protect against pepper spray and tear gas ^{[17] [18] [19 ] ] [20] [21] [22]} .

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that the situation in Hong Kong is an internal affair of China, and warned the United States against attempts to interfere ^[15] .

Residents of Hong Kong have found a way to communicate without mobile operators . They switched to the mobile FireChat messenger, which uses Wi-Fi and Bluetooth ^[23] .

International organizations

• According to Stefan Duzarrik, spokesman for the UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon “understands that this is internal affairs, but strongly recommends that all parties to the conflict resolve the contradictions through peaceful negotiations guaranteeing democratic principles” ^[24] .
• The World Uyghur Congress - President Rabia Kadir stated that the protests in Hong Kong are “very inspiring” for the population of Xinjiang , and also “if Hong Kong wins, then the Uighurs will inspire it” ^[25] .

Country

A number of states, including the USA, Great Britain, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, recommended their citizens to avoid visiting Hong Kong and the protest zone in the near future ^{[26] [27] [28]} . Due to the large number of citizens of the Philippines in Hong Kong, the Government of the Philippines recommended that citizens “avoid trying to unintentionally engage as participants in a protest rally” ^[29] .

• The state-run Russian media have described the protests as another color revolution , which is supported by the governments of the United States and Great Britain ^{[30] [31]} .

• President Barack Obama during a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, noted that "the United States is monitoring the situation in Hong Kong and hoping for its settlement by peaceful means." White House spokesman Josh Ernest said that the US is in favor of an “open society with maximum autonomy” in Hong Kong and urges the authorities to “show restraint,” and participants in the speeches “peacefully express their views” ^[15] .

• Hong Kong police arrested more than 900 people during the “Umbrella Revolution” in 2014, when thousands of demonstrators closed the streets in several central business districts for nearly three months. The government initially brought charges to less than 90 of those detained, and those found guilty were mostly sentenced to probation or community service ^[32] .

• Human rights activists say that there were also detentions of citizens, poets, artists, artists who expressed their support for the “umbrella revolution” in the mainland of China ; more than 200 people were detained ^[33] .
  The most publicized was the case of being placed in Beijing No. 1 Ms. Jang Miao's detention center (Eng. Zhang Miao), who worked in China as an assistant in the German magazine Zeit Online , and at that time helped prepare reports for the Zeit Online Angela Cockrits (Angela Kockritz), after which German journalists made great efforts to release Jang Miao, the story of the detention was published in Cyt Online in two languages, English and German, the Twitter action was organized with the hashtag #freemiao (freedom Mia ), A question was raised by German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier in talks with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang during his state visit to Germany.
  Jang Miao was detained on October 2, 2014 on the way to a poetic evening dedicated to the “umbrella revolution”, arranged by poets on the eastern outskirts of Beijing in the cultural center. Before that, Jang Miao helped Angela Cockrits to cover protests in Hong Kong itself and published many photos from the demonstration in the “WeChat” app.
  When Angela Cockrits decided to find out in Beijing why her assistant was detained, Angela Cockrits was called to the police several times for a long 2 hour interview, where investigators told her that Jang Miao allegedly admitted that Angela Cochrits arrived in Hong Kong with a view to the organization of the protests, so Angela Cockrits, whom the investigators’s harsh manner of asking questions had a depressing effect (once, one of the investigators jumped out of the chair and started shouting at her: you are lying! you are lying! ...) fear of being accused of espionage in China.
  Later, Jang Miao was transferred from the Beijing No. 1 Detention Center in Tongzhou Prison, located in a suburb of Beijing. She was accused of inciting social unrest. Despite the widespread campaign for her release, Jang Miao was released only on July 10, 2015, having spent 9 months in prison ^{[33] [34]} .

• On August 17, 2017, Joshua Wong , Nathan Lowe, and Alex Chow were sentenced to prison terms of 6 to 8 months in prison for storming state institutions — they climbed October 26, 2014 through a fence into a square in front of a government agency. This assault served as the signal for the beginning of the “Umbrella Revolution”. The sentence was later commuted, and all three student leaders were released from prison on February 6, 2018 ^{[35] [36]} .

• Nine leaders of the “Umbrella Revolution” movement on April 9, 2019 were found guilty of disturbing public order during the 79-day 2014 protests. These are student activists Tommy Chung Sau-yin and Yison Chung Yu-va , member of the Legislative Council Tanya Chan , Baptist preacher Chu Yu-min , professor of sociology Chan Kin-man , professor of law at Hong Kong University Benny Thai , deputy head of the League of Social Democrats party " Raphael Wong , former Democratic Party legislator Lee Wing-tat and legislator Shiu Ka-chun ( Eng. Tommy Cheung Sau-yin; Eason Chung Yiu-wa; Tanya Chan; Chu Yiu-ming; Chan Kin-man; Benny Tai; Raphael Wong; Lee Wing-tat; and Shiu Ka-chun ). Among the convicts is the so-called “Capture Central” trio: Benny Tai, Chan Kin-Man and Chu Yu-Min ^{[38] [39] [40]} . The court sentenced on April 24, 2019 all activists, except Tanya Chan , to various punishments, which varied in severity from suspended sentences and 200 hours of community service to 16 months in prison.
  Tanya Chan told the court that she had a brain tumor of 4.2 cm in size, more than a ping-pong ball, and because she needed an immediate operation, the court postponed her sentence until June 10, 2019 (Tanya Chan wanted to prepare for possible prison punishment, therefore, in order to calm the mother, she decided to undergo a medical examination and she learned that she needed an urgent operation only a few days before the sentence was pronounced). Before talking about her illness, Tanya Chan asked the citizens of Hong Kong not to become discouraged in their democratic struggle.
  The strictest punishments, 16 months in prison, were given to Benny Thai , Professor of Law, and Chan Kin-man, Professor of Sociology. Legislator Shiu Ka-chun and deputy head of the League of Social Democrats party, Rafael Wong, were sentenced to 8 months. Baptist preacher Chu Yu-min (75) was sentenced to 16 months, but because of his age and given his long-term public work, he received 2 years of delay. Former Democratic lawmaker Lee Wing-tat (63) was sentenced to 8 months in prison, but also, given his many years of work, received a 2-year delay. Student activists were taken into account by their young age: Tommy Chung Sau-yin (25) was sentenced to 200 hours of community service, Yison Chung Yu-va (26) - to 8 months in prison, but received 2 years delay.
  The court, located in West Kowloon ( West Kowloon , “West Kowloon”, Hong Kong district), was headed by Judge Johnny Chan (Eng. Johnny Chan Jong-herng ), who criticized the defendants risked the lives of "ordinary people" ( ordinary folks ).
  All the defendants, except for Tommy Chung Sau-yin , Yison Chung Yu-va, and Shiu Ka-chun , expressed their intention to appeal to a higher court to appeal the sentences ^{[41] [42] [43]} .

• Riots in Tibet
• Uighur unrest in Urumqi (2009)