Hong Kong and the Beginning of Another Phase of the Democracy Movement

The Occupy Movement for Love and Peace in Hong Kong came to an end with police intervention, and the sit-in at two key locations in the city was terminated after eleven weeks by court order and government enforcement. However, the demand for democracy and the effort to achieve free elections still exists, and essentially the democracy movement in Hong Kong, led by students, has entered another phase where street protests will not occur until further notice. On Monday, December 15, the last encampment of Hong Kong protesters was dismantled by police, and several protesters who sat on the ground and peacefully resisted were arrested by the police. Last week, a court in Hong Kong ordered the removal of tents and equipment in the Admiralty area, which is close to the local government building. The Hong Kong police warned protesters to vacate the area they had occupied by Thursday, December 11, or they would resort to force on that day. In response to this warning, leaders of two major student organizations (the Student Federation and the Teacher's Association), which led the protest movement known as the 'Umbrella Movement' or 'Yellow Ribbon', announced that they would continue peaceful resistance until the last moment and called on supporters to join them. They stated they would not engage with the police but simultaneously prepared for confrontation. On Thursday, nearly seven thousand police officers were present at the scene, and along with court officials, they began to clear and disperse the protesters. Some protesters left the site before Thursday. Another group exited after the police surrounded the area by providing identification information. The last group, which included hundreds of protesters, among them prominent figures such as student activists, human rights defenders, journalists, labor activists, university professors, and lawmakers, were forcibly removed by the police. The Hong Kong police claimed to have arrested 209 on the last day of the sit-in. Overall, the number of arrests during the ten-week duration of the Umbrella Movement reached over six hundred. Among the prominent figures arrested were Claudia Lo, a member of the city council, and Wong Wai-yung, a member of the 'Civil Passion' group. The police announced that arrests would continue, and anyone who acted illegally according to the documentation would be prosecuted. The clearing operation was conducted calmly and did not lead to conflict and violence as in previous instances. Meanwhile, the police acted in front of observing human rights groups and professional lawmakers. Of course, the protesters also played an important role in the peaceful end of the sit-in by refraining from confrontation. However, the leaders of the protest movement and students emphasized that the occupation is over, but the spirit of the demand for free elections has not died and this demand continues. Many of them said upon their forced departure that they would return. Over two and a half months of continuous protest activity and the establishment and leadership of the occupation have brought prestige and a good position for the student movement seeking to solidify the foundations of democracy in Hong Kong. However, the Chinese government's refusal to respond positively to the demands of Hong Kong protesters, the deadlock in negotiations between student leaders and Hong Kong executive officials, and the prolonged struggle have caused the movement to face attrition. In fact, the possibility of continuing peaceful struggle was not viable, and the risk of resorting to violence and physical confrontation with the police was high. In the past two weeks, student movement leaders had concluded that the continuation of street occupations was not possible and that something specific needed to be done to change the balance of power in their favor. For this reason, and the need to accelerate the protest movement and respond with a green light from the leaders of the student protest movement, on Sunday, November 30, they attacked government buildings, including the office of Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying, to occupy them. The student confederations and the teachers' association, two important leadership bodies of the student movement in Hong Kong, issued the command to seize the buildings. However, the students' attack was met with violent police response, who dispersed them with spray and batons. The students' movement faced failure, and some were arrested. Several students were also severely injured. Although the students managed to block the path to government buildings for a few hours, ultimately the police cleared the way. In another incident, police warnings led three student leaders named Benny Tai, Chan Kin-man, and Chu Yiu-ming to accept a police summons and go to the police station. They emphasized that the Occupy Movement with love and peace is a peaceful movement. The leaders were not arrested, but police officials insisted that they end the protests and street occupations. Police officials claimed they had made it clear to student leaders that occupying government buildings and public spaces was illegal, and if previous actions continued, they would be dealt with. Some members of the teachers' group went on an indefinite hunger strike. However, one of them ended his four-day hunger strike on Saturday. Joshua Wong, who had refrained from eating for 108 hours, wrote on his Facebook and Twitter pages: 'I ended my hunger strike due to the strong insistence of doctors.' However, he emphasized that the end of the hunger strike does not mean that the Hong Kong executive government can ignore the protesters' demands. Now, the Umbrella Movement, which had occupied three areas in Hong Kong, has come to an end. At the height of this movement, according to some estimates, two hundred thousand people participated. However, in the last weeks, this number decreased to several thousand. In the final days, the pro-China government faction and business owners whose income was affected by the street occupations expressed their opposition more intensely and cohesively than before. Accelerating protests and increasing pressure on Hong Kong executive officials did not yield the desired response either. The fear of police attacks and violent ends to sit-ins and gatherings also made the environment unsuitable for continuing street occupations. These factors resulted in the movement having limited time for effective activity and ultimately choosing civil disobedience for a final confrontation. However, the Umbrella Movement has managed to change the political and protest culture of the people of Hong Kong. It has gathered significant capital and potential for its future activities. It has elevated democracy to the primary demand of the people of Hong Kong. It has gained global credibility. It has enhanced the skills of the leaders and activists of the movement. These achievements provide a good foundation for continuing the democracy movement in both political and non-street forms. Of course, under these conditions, there is not significant pressure on the Hong Kong city government and the Chinese government, making it difficult for them to change their positions. However, the dissatisfaction of the people of Hong Kong and their will to prevent Chinese government interference in the selection of the local chief executive and to achieve free elections will not disappear with the end of the sit-in and the government's renewed control over the streets. The Chinese government also faces difficulties in holding elections. If the leaders of the democracy movement can create consensus among the people of Hong Kong for paralyzing actions in a short period, then the chances of success in holding free elections will increase. Hong Kong activists believe they are under control and surveillance by the Chinese government, and their online activities and phone conversations are monitored. The Chinese government denies this claim. There is also a high likelihood that the Hong Kong police will target prominent and effective figures of the Umbrella Movement after clearing the streets and the sit-in site. The coming days will reveal the fate of the Occupy Movement for Love and Peace in Hong Kong. However, the 'Umbrella Movement' or 'Yellow Ribbon' had a significant impact on increasing self-confidence and empowering the people in Hong Kong, especially among students, and expanded the sense of solidarity among a significant part of society. Currently, the next challenge for democracy activists is to confront potential arrests and security and judicial actions.