The Hong Kong Protests

The Hong Kong Protests

The Gist

The protests in Hong Kong are a big deal because they could have ramifications for mainland China. The protesters are angry because they feel that the government in Beijing is not living up to its part of the agreement signed with the United Kingdom back in 1997. The British, rulers of at least part of Hong Kong for over 150 years, agreed to ‘give’ Hong Kong ‘back’ with the assurance that democracy would stay in place (the so called one country, two systems policy). Problem is, for the 2017 elections, the Chinese government has said that it would allow for free elections AFTER they vet the candidates. This is a no-go for many in Hong Kong and what started out as a student led “occupy movement” type protest has spread to include the wider population. Although, the protests seem to be dying down, they are important as the first visible anti-government demonstration since the Tiananmen Square protest. Many are calling it the Umbrella Revolution because that is what the protesters used to shield themselves from the pepper spray….and now you know the gist.