As my colleague Colin Wolfgang likes to say, “protests are so IN right now.” The latest country to experience mass pro-democracy protests
is also perhaps the most surprising: in China over the last two weeks, student
groups and pro-democracy activists have joined forces in Hong Kong to stage
huge demonstrations and sit-ins. Despite a total government blackout on
information leaving Hong Kong, reports and photos are still coming out showing
that the protests have spread throughout the central area of the city, and show
no signs of abating.
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| School children join the pro-democracy protests. Courtesy Getty Images. |
The protests taking place in Hong Kong are primarily due to a
declaration in August that Beijing would reserve the right to vet all
candidates for the chief executive of the autonomously administrated city. The vetting process will take place in the first direct elections for the position, due to take place in 2017. When
Hong Kong gained independence from the U.K. in 1997, part of the agreement for
its transfer to Chinese administration was autonomous rule for 50 years, and
direct elections for the chief executive in 20.
