Police removed barricades in Hong Kong on Tuesday, taking down a section of one of the protest movement’s camps after two months of sit-ins. But it was a small step by the city’s government, and the Occupy Central movement isn’t likely to end any time soon.
University students in Hong Kong don’t have a reputation for being zealous when it comes to politics. But on Monday, an estimated 13,000 young people turned out for a pro-democracy rally to send a message to the central government in Beijing and pave the way for a broader movement.
Hong Kong will elect its chief executive for the first time in 2017, but Beijing announced this weekend that the city will have to choose from a short slate of pre-approved candidates. Many Hong Kongers say that violates the mainland’s pledges to allow democracy, and protesters are gearing up for action.