Hong Kong Protests' – 100,000 Strong - "Umbrella Revolution" – Bring It On! - October 1st 2014

Hong Kong Protests' – 100,000 Strong - "Umbrella Revolution" – Bring It On!

Rumors traveled through crowds of protesters, that the police were preparing to crackdown and move in to clear out the protests. Undeterred, many remained, especially because it's the eve of the Communist Party’s Anniversary - The foundation of the People’s Republic of China in 1949.

“We are not scared. We will stay here tonight. Tonight is the most important,” 

    - Protester

The protesters, mostly students, are demanding Full Democracy and have called on the city’s Leader, Leung Chun-ying, to resign after Beijing a month earlier, ruled out free elections for Hong Kong’s leader, known as the Chief Executive, in 2017.

China rules Hong Kong under a “one country, two systems” formula that gives the former British colony some autonomy and freedoms that Mainland China does not have.

Protesters massed in four of Hong Kong’s busiest areas in all approximately 80,000 on the streets...with the idea in their mind that they are fighting for their future.

In what has become a civil movement, protesters set up supply stations with water bottles, fruit, crackers, disposable raincoats, towels, goggles, face masks and tents, indicating they were in for the long haul.

China's Communist Leaders take a hard line against any threat to their monopoly on power, cracking down on dissidents is just the order of the day. But, how far will it go? Will it escalate into another Tienanmen Square Incident?

China just recently blocked Instagram to stop young people on the mainland from seeing photographs of the demonstrations in Hong Kong and CCTV was asked by Censors to not show video footage. But the masses have discovered and are all using FireChat and it's use is spreading to the mainland.

Thousands of postings have been purged from the internet; images, video and anything new with searchable phrases or words such as, 'Occupy Central' - the slogan of demonstrators - and 'Hong Kong Protest' have been blocked.

Updates:

1. China on Monday signaled it won't tolerate "disrupters" and "mischief-mongers".

2. Officials in Beijing said they would not tolerate agitators and that a strong reaction was being planned.

3. Reports from Hong Kong suggested the police have been instructed to use force only if protesters resort to vandalism.

4. Demonstrators are demanding that the city’s leader - the Chief Executive: Leung Chun-ying resign.

5. Demonstrators are asking for full freedom and free elections.

6. All of the protesters' demands have been refused.

7. Police say 87 rounds of tear gas were used on Sunday when protesters began pushing through cordons and barricades. They also said that 41 people were injured, including 12 police officers.



“Police cordon lines were heavily charged, by some violent protesters. So the police had to use the minimum force in order to separate the distance at that moment between the protesters and also the police,” - Cheung Tak-keung - Assistant Police Commissioner of Operations.

The whole situation was instigated by Beijing’s Communist Party and now they face a difficult dilemma. Cracking down too hard might shake confidence in this market-driven Hong Kong and not reacting strongly enough, may encourage dissidents on the mainland.

http://www.reuters.com/article/slideshow/idUSKCN0HN03Q20140930#a=1