Umbrella Revolution - Hong Kong

I didn’t know much about it these days, but it seems that many big accidents have occurred in the world. Recently, a large scale demonstration which even young students participated in broke out.

Hong Kong’s citizens who desired for complete free direct election system against intervention of election of Hong Kong’s chief executive collided with Chinese government.  It was named ‘Umbrella Revolution’ since citizens blocked teargas with their umbrella.


Umbrella Revolution gathered the maximum 60,000 people as it was the largest scale challenge after Hong Kong’s return to China in 1997. This situation tested ‘one country, two systems’ which was Hong Kong’s governing principle and plan for unification with Taiwan. Deng Xiaoping achieved returning Hong Kong to China from United Kingdom by suggesting ‘one country, two systems’ which guaranteed Hong Kong’s high autonomy and economic freedom. However, Hong Kong citizens opposed and protested since China limited candidates for minister of administration to celebrity who gained a majority vote from pro-Chinese Electoral College.

It is said that this challenge was named as ‘Umbrella Revolution’ due to influence of a 17-year- old student activist, Josyuawong(picture)


He established middle and high school student activist groups and took on representative at the age of 15 in 2012. Also, he led this demonstration and stood shoulder to shoulder with university students and representatives of citizen organizations.  He attracted voluntary participation from citizens and students, saying “I don’t want to see elementary students protesting for Hong Kong’s democracy after 10 years.  It is our responsibility.” Some people are concerned about probability for it to develop into the small scale Tiananmen Square protest.
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I hope that this protest could be settled peacefully as young students participate for reaching democracy.