POST OCCUPY CENTRAL - DAY 01 (16-12-2014)

Occupy Central

Occupy Central is a civil disobedience movement which began in Hong Kong on September 28, 2014. It calls on thousands of protesters to block roads and paralyse Hong Kong's financial district if the Beijing and Hong Kong governments do not agree to implement universal suffrage for the chief executive election in 2017 and the Legislative Council elections in 2020 according to "international standards." The movement was initiated by Benny Tai Yiu-ting (戴耀廷), an associate professor of law at the University of Hong Kong, in January 2013.

Umbrella Movement

The Umbrella Movement (Chinese: 雨傘運動; pinyin: yǔsǎn yùndòng) is a loose political movement that was created spontaneously during the Hong Kong protests of 2014. Its name derives from the recognition of the umbrella as a symbol of defiance and resistance against the Hong Kong government, and the united grass-roots objection to the decision of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPCSC) of 31 August.

The movement consists of individuals numbering in the tens of thousands who participated in the protests that began on 28 September 2014, although Scholarism, the Hong Kong Federation of Students, Occupy Central with Love and Peace,  groups are principally driving the demands for the rescission of the NPCSC decision.

Occupy Central site in Causeway Bay was cleared as police moved in  ...

POST OCCUPY CENTRAL - DAY 01: 

Full coverage of the day’s events

Occupied no more

Kevin Cheng and Kenneth Lau

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying yesterday declared an end to 79 days of democracy protests after police cleared the last remaining Occupy Central camp and arrested a handful of peaceful protesters.

A few demonstrators staged a sit-in as police cut away barricades and tore down banners and shelters in Causeway Bay.

Seventeen people, from students to the elderly, were arrested, with some shouting: "We will be back" and "Fight to the end."

Leung said with the completion of clearance work in Causeway Bay "the episode of illegal occupation is over."

He added: "Other than economic losses, I believe the greatest loss Hong Kong society has suffered is the damage to the rule of law by a small group of people."

Another police clearance outside the Legislative Council began shortly after 2pm when security staff issued a warning for activists to leave.

Almost immediately, about 30 to 40 activists began packing up tents and other equipment, moving them to nearby Tim Mei Avenue.

Legco president Jasper Tsang Yok-sing said earlier security personnel could request the assistance of police, but it turned out to be unnecessary.

The last activist left the area outside Legco at around 3.50pm, with cleaners moving in to clear the rubbish and debris.

In Causeway Bay, police began the clearance of the Yee Wo Street site at 10.25am.

They used pliers, electric saws and bolt cutters to remove barricades and obstacles, moving quickly from west to east.

Just over two hours later at 1pm, the street was completely cleared and open to traffic.

A small group of 17 activists staged a sit-in, including Federation of Students core member Ian Chan Kok-hin.

Lawmaker Fernando Cheung Chiu-hung was also in Causeway Bay but did not take part in the sit-in and said he was only there to support the activists and to monitor if police used excessive force.

Civic Party lawmaker Kenneth Chan Ka-lok, who was among those arrested, said the government had failed to respond to the activists.

"Leung Chun-ying still needs to face the Legislative Council, face the public and face political reform ... people should not be afraid of the government, the government should be afraid of the people," he said.

He said pan-democrats will contemplate any form of "non-cooperation."

Ian Chan said the "occupation for almost 80 days is a wonderful achievement" and that "we will see each other soon."