Long March to Democracy: The seven million residents of Hong Kong

Abstract

The struggle for Self-determination remains ongoing for the inhabitants of Hong Kong, China. In 2014, years of tension resulted in a mass demonstration spearheaded by the Occupy Central with Love and Peace initiative. Hong Kong was accustomed to demonstrations and protests. However, rarely did a protest provoke such a massive amount of responses from various parties. At the time, the international stage was already familiar with the occupy phenomenon. Three years before the Yellow Umbrella movement, as OCLP would later be called, three “square movements” were the centre of worldwide media attention. In early 2011, all eyes were on the MENA region where several political uprisings located around city squares were given the name the ‘Arab Spring’. In May, in reaction to the course of the Spanish elections the Indignados movement occupied city squares demanding financial reform. In October, anti-capitalistic sentiment crossed the Atlantic Ocean and inspired Occupy Wall-Street.

These three movements are considered a different phenomenon from old-style social movements and are approached using New Social Movement theory. This thesis will research Occupy Central with Love and Peace through the concepts and theories used to analyse the 2011 movements to create an initial idea how Occupy Central can be interpreted. A historic overview of the relationship between Hong Kong and China will set the grounds for in-depth analysis of the cause, conduct and means of Occupy Central with Love and Peace.