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Who are Hong Kong's protesters? Who are Hong Kong's protesters?
(about 9 hours later)
Tensions are high in Hong Kong amid a row about how the city's leader should be elected, with thousands taking to the streets in defiance of tear gas and government warnings. Tens of thousands have taken to the streets of Hong Kong in defiance of tear gas and government warnings.
Elections are due in 2017 - but the Chinese government has issued a ruling limiting who can stand as a candidate. Campaigns by students and pro-democracy activists ballooned into mass protests over the weekend. The demonstrations have been denounced by China. The BBC explains what is happening. Campaigns by students and pro-democracy activists ballooned into mass protests. They have been angered by the Chinese government's ruling limiting who could stand as a candidate in elections for Hong Kong's leader, due in 2017.
Who are the protesters? The demonstrations have been denounced by China.
At the heart of it is a civil disobedience movement launched by democracy activists, Occupy Central with Love and Peace, known as Occupy Central. It had been promising protests for months if Beijing's movement on electoral reform did not go far enough. Who is out on the streets?
The campaigners want political reform and democratic elections that meet international standards. At the heart of this protest is a civil disobedience movement launched by democracy activists, Occupy Central with Love and Peace, known as Occupy Central.
Occupy Central had said a mass non-violent campaign would begin on 1 October in response to Beijing's ruling against fully open elections in 2017. But it brought its protests forward in response to student-led demonstrations over the weekend outside Hong Kong's government headquarters. After China's electoral ruling it set a date of 1 October to begin demonstrations. Then students began a separate class boycott and protest in the name of democracy in late September. When they broke into the main government compound on Friday, Occupy kicked off its campaign early.
So who are the students? Since then ordinary Hong Kong residents have also taken to the streets in spontaneous action, even defying requests from Occupy to disperse once tear gas was used by police.
University students began a separate pro-democracy protest on 22 September. They started with a boycott of classes and their ranks were swelled later in the week at protest sites by crowds of school students. Tens of thousands have been on the streets, mostly young, but pensioners and young families have also been seen among those demonstrating.
On Friday student demonstrators invaded the main government compound and tensions escalated. As numbers swelled, Occupy Central kicked off its campaign early. Could protests change China's mind?
Hong Kong is under Chinese rule - can protests realistically make a difference? Before these protests began, activists admitted the movement was unlikely to sway China.
Before these protests began, organisers of Occupy Central admitted the movement was highly unlikely to sway the Chinese government. Public protests play an important role in Hong Kong. Locals have free speech and the right to protest, even though they cannot directly elect their government.
Public protests play an important role in Hong Kong. Locals have free speech and the right to protest, but cannot directly elect their government. Many see taking to the streets as their way of forcing change. And they have used this right to effect in the past. A controversial national security law known as Article 23 was proposed in 2002, but dropped after large protests the following year. More recently, the government was forced into a U-turn on "patriotic education" classes.
Some demonstrations have succeeded. A controversial national security law known as Article 23 was proposed in 2002, but dropped after large protests. The government also backed down over "patriotic education" classes following rallies against the move. The size and passion of these protests have taken observers by surprise, but the demands strike at the very heart of the nature of Beijing's authority.
These demonstrations are larger and more passionate than expected. But the protesters are demanding major - and highly sensitive - concessions from Beijing. Demanding full democracy would radically change how Hong Kong is governed and China is unlikely to cave in on this - it would be seen as a dangerous precedent.
Demanding full democracy would radically change how Hong Kong is governed, and Beijing would view it as a direct challenge to its own authority.
How violent could it get?How violent could it get?
Rallies frequently take place in Hong Kong, and are generally peaceful and well-organised. Hong Kong rallies are frequent and generally peaceful and well-organised. But as Hong Kong's politics has become more polarised so protests have become more confrontational.
But protests have become more confrontational over the years, as Hong Kong's politics have become polarised. In recent years, there have been some clashes between pro-democracy and pro-Beijing demonstrators. Protesters have attempted to storm government buildings. And there is no single group in control of the protest movement on the streets right now.
Organisers insist Occupy Central is a non-violent movement. But critics are concerned the organisers will not be able to control the crowd. And the rapid growth of the student-led campaign that has already seen the government complex stormed could change the dynamic. Most witnesses report a peaceful and co-operative atmosphere, but tear gas has already been deployed so much may also depend on how the police responds to the crowds.
Occupy Central insists it is a non-violent movement, but the rapid growth of the student-led campaign that has already seen the government complex stormed could also change the dynamic.
What do Hong Kong people think?What do Hong Kong people think?
There is a large spectrum of opinion. In recent months protests organised by pro-democracy and pro-government groups have both drawn tens of thousands. There is a large spectrum of opinion in Hong Kong which analysts say appears increasingly polarised.
Hong Kong is a business-minded city, and many will be reluctant to take part in civil disobedience, or anger Beijing, fearing it could hurt the economy. Some argue that lawmakers should accept China's proposal as the pragmatic option. The campaigners and protesters want political reform and democratic elections that meet international standards.
However, a significant number of people do want more democracy, and have expressed anger at China's ruling, arguing that it offers no real choice. But Hong Kong is also a business-minded city, and many will be reluctant to take part in civil disobedience, or anger Beijing, fearing it could hurt the economy.
Who are the key players?Who are the key players?
The main organisers supporting the Occupy Central movement are Benny Tai, a law professor, Chan Kin-man, a sociology professor and Chu Yiu-ming, a church minister. They are regarded as comparatively moderate pro-democracy figures. Occupy Central's leaders - law professor Benny Tai, sociologist Chan Kin-man and church minister Yiu-ming - are seen as moderate pro-democracy figures.
The movement is supported by many political parties in Hong Kong's pan-democratic camp. The supporters have not always been united - some had backed softer reforms less likely to antagonise Beijing. But China's ruling in August united many supporters, who have described the restrictions on who can stand as a candidate as undemocratic and unacceptable. The group is supported by many political parties in Hong Kong's pan-democratic camp. Some backed softer reforms, but China's restrictions on who could stand for election only served to unify them.
In the student camp, Alex Chow and Lester Shum lead the Hong Kong Federation of Students. Joshua Wong leads the Scholarism movement, which campaigned two years again against "patriotic education". All three were arrested as the student protests erupted but have since been released. In the last few weeks student leaders like Alex Chow and Lester Shum have come to the fore. Joshua Wong who was at the helm of the campaign against "patriotic education" is also a force in these latest protests.
Key players against the movement include mainland China and Hong Kong government officials, who have spoken out against Occupy Central. All three were arrested as the student demonstrations erupted but have since been released.
Pro-Beijing and pro-business parties tend to be against the campaign, and several anti-Occupy Central groups have also been set up. Pro-Beijing and pro-business parties tend to be against the campaign, and several anti-Occupy Central groups have also been set up. They claim to own the silent majority.
What is China worried about? What are China's biggest fears?
The Chinese Communist Party does not want any movement that could be perceived as a challenge to its authority. Nor does it want a pro-democracy campaign spreading from Hong Kong to the mainland. China does not want any movement that could be perceived as a challenge to its authority. Nor does it want a pro-democracy campaign spreading from Hong Kong to the mainland.
State media have accused "external forces" of meddling in Hong Kong's affairs and encouraging "separatist sentiments". The fury in state media is palpable. It has accused "external forces" of meddling in Hong Kong's affairs and encouraging "separatist sentiments".
There has been speculation over whether China would get involved in a crackdown on Occupy Central, if it is not satisfied with how it is handled by local authorities. However, it is thought that China would view this as an absolute last resort, given the likely international and business repercussions. There has also been speculation over whether China would get involved in a crackdown. That would almost certainly be seen as an absolute last resort, given the likely international and business repercussions.
What happens next? What happens now?
To enable direct elections in 2017, the Hong Kong government will have to present a political reform plan to Hong Kong's lawmaking body, the Legislative Council, for a vote. Pro-democracy lawmakers, who hold enough seats for a veto, have said that they will vote down any proposal based on China's ruling. To enable direct elections in 2017, the Hong Kong government will have to present a political reform plan to Hong Kong's law-making body, the Legislative Council, for a vote. Pro-democracy lawmakers, who hold enough seats for a veto, have said that they will vote down any proposal based on China's ruling.
If the proposal is voted down, Hong Kong will be unable to implement universal suffrage, and its elections are expected to proceed as before, with a committee of 1,200 mostly pro-Beijing figures selecting the leader.If the proposal is voted down, Hong Kong will be unable to implement universal suffrage, and its elections are expected to proceed as before, with a committee of 1,200 mostly pro-Beijing figures selecting the leader.
Before any of this, however, it needs to find a way out of the current impasse on the streets.Before any of this, however, it needs to find a way out of the current impasse on the streets.