A protestor shouts slogans during a student demonstration in Hong Kong against Beijing's refusal to sanction open elections in the city in 2017. Protesters surrounded the headquarters of Hong Kong's law-making body, the Legislative Council.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Hong Kong students boycott classes in democracy protest

 

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Hong Kong (CNN) -- Hong Kong is in the midst of its longest series of political protests since the 1997 handover.

Pro-democracy activists say they are making good on a long-threatened vow to try and paralyze the city's financial district -- a key business hub for the region and beyond -- through sit-ins and civil disobedience.

Clashes between students and police this weekend have been the most heated in a long summer of anti-Beijing protests. Dozens have been reported injured by authorities.

Their goal is to pressure China into giving the former British colony full universal suffrage.

Beijing has so far refused to cede ground on its stance, setting the scene for growing, and more intense, clashes.

 

CNN on the protest front lines

 

What's brought on the protests?

 

HK democracy 'is nearly dead'

Here are five things to know about Hong Kong as political tensions ratchet up:

READ: Police clamp down as students protest

1. It's not just another Chinese city

A city of towering skyscrapers on China's southeastern tip, Hong Kong is home to 7 million people.

When the city was returned to China in 1997 a deal was struck promising "a high degree of autonomy" to Hong Kong under a formula dubbed "One Country, Two Systems."

The city's Basic Law or "mini-constitution" has allowed the city to carry on with its own legal and financial system and Hong Kong enjoys civil liberties unseen in mainland China such as an independent judiciary, freedom of the press and the right to protest.

It also states that "universal suffrage" is the ultimate aim for Hong Kong but it does not give not a timetable or detail how political reform should take shape.

Currently, Hong Kong's leader, known as the chief executive, is elected by a 1,200-strong committee stacked with Beijing loyalists.

2. People are fed up

Surveys show that the government's approval rating is sinking, whiledistrust of China's central government in Beijing is at its highest level since the handover.

Discontent, especially among the young, is driven by a widening wealth gap and many resent the influx of free-spending mainland Chinese visitors to the city who buy up everything from apartments to baby milk formula.

A survey released on September 21 said that one in five people were considering emigrating.

The latest wave of protests came after Beijing in August rejected demands for people to freely choose the city's next leader in 2017.

Pro-democracy groups responded by unleashing threats to disrupt the city's Central financial district -- where many big banks and other businesses are located -- in a campaign known as "Occupy Central."

Democracy supporters come from a broad cross section of society including students, religious leaders, university professors and financial professionals.

After months of forewarning, Occupy Central began formally on Sunday, with thousands of protesters, many wearing eye and clothing protection beginning a sit in around government buildings. Supporters want to force discussions, and even concessions, over Beijing's influence on Hong Kong.

3. Not everyone supports the protests

Pro-Beijing groups like "The Silent Majority for Hong Kong" say the activists will "endanger Hong Kong" and create chaos.

They have held their own rallies against Occupy Central and ran advertising campaigns in local media to highlight their fears.

The biggest rally, on August 17, was attended by thousands although questions were raised about its legitimacy amid reports that marchers were paid to show up.

Businesses fear that any campaign targeting the city's financial district will harm Hong Kong's reputation as a safe and stable place to do business.

An opinion poll conducted this month by Chinese University said that 46% did not support the Occupy Central campaign, while 31% backed the civil disobedience movement.

4. China thinks Hong Kong is "confused"

Beijing, in a policy document released in June, said that Hong Kong does not enjoy "full autonomy" and residents are "confused or lopsided in their understanding" of "One country, Two systems."

The rhetoric indicates that Beijing is unlikely to budge on its prescription for electoral reform in the city.

Li Fei, a senior Chinese official, suggested that screening candidates was necessary to ensure the chief executive "loves China, loves Hong Kong and will safeguard the country's sovereignty, security and development interests."

China has also sought to blame the pro-democracy opposition in Hong Kong on interference by Britain and the United States.

All eyes are on Beijing -- how will it respond to the growing waves of protests? The central government in a tricky situation of not being able to be seen as backing down on its stance but at the same time needs to be wary over the use of force and the implications of doing so.

5. The government says Hong Kong should accept deal on offer

The Hong Kong government says its people should accept the deal on electoral reform offered by Beijing.

The new framework will allow Hong Kong's 5 million registered voters to select their leader, although candidates must be approved by a committee similar to the one that selected the city's top official in 2012.

Critics say that this means only candidates favored by Beijing will appear on the ballot but Hong Kong's current chief executive, C.Y. Leung, writing in an op ed for CNN, says that this is not the case.

"We have not even started to discuss the detailed but crucial aspects of the nominating process for potential chief executive candidates," he writes.

"Raw emotion -- for or against the proposed political reform -- will get us nowhere."

香港抗議：你需要知道什麼
由凱蒂·亨特，美國有線電視新聞網
2014年9月28日 - 更新0316 GMT（1116 HKT）
抗議者在對北京拒絕制裁公開選舉的城市在2017年的抗議者包圍著香港的立法機構，立法會的總部設在香港的學生示威喊口號。 抗議者在對北京拒絕制裁公開選舉的城市在2017年的抗議者包圍著香港的立法機構，立法會的總部設在香港的學生示威喊口號。
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香港學生罷課民主抗議
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新聞提要
民運人士發起了一場運動，“佔領”的城市金融區
他們的目標是向中國施壓，讓進入這個前英國殖民地全面普選
並不是每個人都贊同的積極分子的目標，但許多居民不滿
中國說，香港不享有“充分自主權”
香港（CNN） -香港是其自1997年回歸最長的一系列政治抗議活動之中。
民運人士說，他們正在取得良好的長期威脅的誓言，試圖癱瘓城市的金融區 - 為區域內外的主要商業樞紐 - 通過靜坐和非暴力反抗。
學生和警察在本週末之間的衝突一直是最激烈的反北京抗議長夏。數十名已報告了當局受傷。
他們的目標是向中國施壓，讓進入這個前英國殖民地全面普選。
北京至今仍拒絕割讓其立場地，設置場景越來越大，越來越激烈，衝突。
美國有線電視新聞網的抗議前線 什麼帶來的抗議活動？ 香港民主“幾乎死了”
這裡有五件事要了解香港的政治緊張局勢衝高：
閱讀：警方打擊學生抗議
1，這不只是中國的另一個城市
城市高聳於中國的東南端的摩天大樓，以香港為家，以700萬人。
當城市在1997年回歸中國的協議被稱為下一個公式來襲有為“的高度自治”到香港“一個國家，兩種制度”。
全市基本法或“小憲法”允許城市進行其自己的法律和金融體系，而香港素有公民自由看不見的在中國大陸，如司法獨立，新聞自由和抗議的權利。
報告還指出，“普選”是香港的最終目標，但它並沒有給沒有一個時間表或具體的政治改革應該如何初具規模。
目前，香港的領袖，被稱為行政長官，選舉產生了堆放著北京的死黨一個1200人的委員會。
2，人們受夠了
調查顯示，政府的支持率正在下沉，而中國中央政府在北京的不信任是其在回歸後的最高水平。
不滿，尤其是在年輕人中間，是由貧富差距擴大，並帶動許多反感大手大腳花錢的中國大陸城市的遊客誰買了一切，從公寓到嬰兒配方奶粉的湧入。
調查公佈的9月21日稱，五分之一的人正在考慮移民。
抗議活動的最新一波來到北京後，於八月拒絕了要求為人們自由選擇在2017年這個城市的下一任領導人。
親民主團體的反應是發動威脅，擾亂城市的中央金融區 - 有許多大銀行和其他業務分別位於 - “佔領中環”中被稱為運動
民主的支持者來自社會各階層部分，包括學生，宗教領袖，大學教授和金融專業人士。
預警後數月，佔中央開始正式上週日，成千上萬的示威者，許多身穿眼睛和衣物的保護開始靜坐在各地的政府大樓。支持者希望強制的討論，甚至讓步，在北京對香港的影響。
3，不是每個人都支持抗議活動
親北京的團體，如“ 沉默的大多數的香港 “之稱的活動家將”危及香港“，並製造混亂。
他們舉行了自己的集會反對佔領中環和跑在當地媒體廣告宣傳活動，以彰顯他們的恐懼。
最大的反彈，8月17日，是由數以千計的參加，雖然有人提出了關於其合法性際的遊行者支付露面報告。
企業擔心，針對城市的金融區的任何行動將損害香港的聲譽作為一個安全和穩定的地方做生意。
本月中國大學進行了一項民意調查說，46％不支持佔領中環運動，而31％的支持公民不服從運動。
4，中國認為香港是“糊塗”
北京在六月發布一份政策文件，說香港不享有“充分自主權”和居民“，在他們的理解混淆或漸行漸遠”，“一個國家，兩種制度”。
的豪言壯語表示，北京是不可能讓步的處方在全市選舉改革。
李飛一位中國高級官員，認為有必要篩選候選人，以確保行政長官“熱愛中國，熱愛香港，將維護國家的主權，安全和發展利益。”
中國還試圖歸罪於香港親民主反對派對英國干涉屆美國。
所有的目光都集中在北京 - 如何將它的抗議浪潮日益回應？中央政府不能夠對一個棘手的情況，被視為對自己的立場退縮，但同時需要警惕在使用武力和這樣做的意義。
5，政府說香港應該接受報價的交易
香港政府說，它的人們應該接受北京提出選舉改革的協議。
新的架構將允許香港的500萬登記選民選擇他們的領導人，但考生必須通過類似選擇的城市的高級官員在2012年的一個委員會批准。
批評人士說，這意味著只有深受北京將出現在選票上的候選人，但香港目前的首席執行官，梁振英，寫在運版的CNN， 說，這是情況並非如此。
“我們甚至還沒有開始討論提名程序的詳細，但重要方面潛在的行政長官候選人，”他寫道。
“原始的情感 - 或反對建議的政治改革 - 將一事無成。”