Ten years ago today, Hong Kong’s Central district was filled with protesters who were angry at Chinese government plans to renege on a promise of a fully democratic vote. The Occupy Central, also known as the Umbrella protests, paralyzed the city’s financial center and inspired a generation of young people. However, today Hong Kong’s streets are quiet, as protest has been largely criminalized and many of the leaders of the Umbrella movement have been exiled, jailed, or silenced.
Looking back, a protester named Wendy reflects on the feeling of that first day of Occupy. She believed in Hong Kong’s Basic Law and its promise of universal suffrage, only to be disappointed by China’s decision to limit the candidates for elections to those handpicked by a pro-Beijing committee. The protests were planned by activists known as the Occupy Trio, but were accelerated by student demonstrations that led to the occupation of Hong Kong’s financial district.
The Occupy protests lasted for 79 days but did not achieve their goals. Despite this, it left a sense of hope for the future. The protests inspired the emergence of new political parties and activist groups. In June 2019, millions took to the streets again in massive pro-democracy protests, using tactics refined during Occupy. However, the 2019 protests did not have the same level of hope and energy as those in 2014.
Although the outcome of the Occupy protests showed that Beijing would not yield to confrontational tactics, it also awakened the young people of Hong Kong and strengthened their aspirations for democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. The legacy of the Occupy protests lives on, with individuals like Tony believing that there is still something worth fighting for in Hong Kong.
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