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{{Short description|2013–2014 Hong Kong movement for universal suffrage}}
{{About|an advocacy group in Hong Kong|the 2014 protests sometimes called 'Occupy Central'|2014 Hong Kong protests}}
{{About|an advocacy group in Hong Kong|related protests in Hong Kong also known as the Umbrella Revolution|2014 Hong Kong protests|a part of the international ]s|Occupy Central (2011–2012)}}
{{EngvarB|date=August 2014}} {{EngvarB|date=August 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}

{{Infobox organization {{Infobox organization
| name = Occupy Central with Love and Peace | name = Occupy Central with Love and Peace
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| merged = | merged =
| successor = | successor =
| formation = 27 March 2013 | established = 27 March 2013
| founders = | founders =
| dissolved = 3 December 2014
| extinction = <!-- e.g. use {{end date and age|df=yes|YYYY|MM|DD}} -->
| merger = | merger =
| tax_id = <!-- or | vat_id = (for non-profit org) --> | tax_id = <!-- or | vat_id = (for non-profit org) -->
| registration_id = <!-- for non-profit org --> | registration_id = <!-- for non-profit org -->
| status = | status =
| purpose = The election of the ] beginning in 2017 by ] consistent with accepted international standards.<ref>{{cite web|title=OCLP Basic Tenets|url=http://oclp.hk/index.php?route=occupy/eng_detail&eng_id=10|publisher=Occupy Central with Love and Peace|accessdate=30 September 2014}}</ref> | purpose = The election of the ] beginning in 2017 by ] consistent with accepted international standards.<ref>{{cite web|title=OCLP Basic Tenets|url=http://oclp.hk/index.php?route=occupy/eng_detail&eng_id=10|publisher=Occupy Central with Love and Peace|access-date=30 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140930064732/http://oclp.hk/index.php?route=occupy%2Feng_detail&eng_id=10|archive-date=30 September 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| headquarters = | headquarters =
| location = Hong Kong | location = ]
| coords = <!-- {{coord|LAT|LON|display=inline,title}} --> | coords = <!-- {{Coord|LAT|LON|display=inline,title}} -->
| region = | region =
| services = | services =
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| fields = | fields =
| membership = | membership =
| owner = <!-- or | owners = --> | owner = <!-- or | owners = -->
| sec_gen = | sec_gen =
| leader_title = | leader_title =
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| leader_name4 = | leader_name4 =
| board_of_directors = | board_of_directors =
| key_people = Rev. ] <br> Prof. ] <br> Dr. ] | key_people = The Occupy Central trio:{{Unbulleted list|Rev. ]| ]| ]}}
| main_organ = | main_organ =
| parent_organization = | parent_organization =
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| slogan = | slogan =
| mission = | mission =
| website = {{url|oclp.hk/}} | website = {{url|oclp.hk/}}
| remarks = | remarks =
| formerly = | formerly =
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}} }}


{{Infobox Chinese
'''Occupy Central''' ({{zh|c=佔領中環 or 佔中}}) is a ] campaign initiated by ], Associate Professor of Law at the ], and advocated by '''Occupy Central with Love and Peace''' (organisation; OCLP; 讓愛與和平佔領中環 or 和平佔中). In the course of the ], OCLP intends to pressure the PRC Government into granting an electoral system which "satisf the international standards in relation to universal suffrage" in Hong Kong Chief Executive election in 2017 as promised according to the ].<ref name="Manifesto">{{cite web|url=http://oclp.hk/index.php?route=occupy/eng_detail&eng_id=9|title=OCLP Manifesto|publisher=|accessdate=14 October 2014}}</ref> Should such an electoral system not be achieved, OCLP sought to fight for equal suffrage in Hong Kong through illegal means, namely the occupation of ], which OCLP vowed would be non-violent.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/06/occupy-central-hong-kong-democracy-campaign|title=Occupy Central gives downtown Hong Kong a taste of disobedience|newspaper=] |date= 6 March 2014}}</ref>
| order = jp
| showflag =
| t = 讓愛與和平佔領中環
| s = 让爱与和平占领中环
| p = Ràng Ài Yǔ Hépíng Zhànglīng Zhōnghuán
| h = Ngiong<sup>4</sup> Oi<sup>4</sup> Yi<sup>4</sup> Fo<sup>2</sup>pin<sup>4</sup> Zam<sup>4</sup>liang<sup>1</sup> Zung<sup>1</sup>van<sup>2</sup><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hkilang.org/NEW_WEB/page/dictionary |title=Archived copy |access-date=2015-07-01 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150701164520/http://www.hkilang.org/NEW_WEB/page/dictionary |archive-date=1 July 2015}} Association for Conversation of Hong Kong Indigenous Languages Online Dictionary for ] and ]</ref>
| j = Joeng<sup>6</sup> Oi<sup>3</sup> Jyu<sup>5</sup> Wo<sup>4</sup>ping<sup>4</sup> Zim<sup>3</sup>ling<sup>5</sup> Zung<sup>1</sup>waan<sup>4</sup>
| y = Yeuhng oi yúh wòh pìhng jim líhng jūng wàahn
| t2 = 和平佔中
| s2 = 和平占中
| p2 = Hépíng Zhàngzhōng
| j2 = Wo<sup>4</sup>ping<sup>4</sup>Zim<sup>3</sup>zung<sup>1</sup>
| y2 = Wòh pìhng jim jūng
| altname =
}}


'''Occupy Central with Love and Peace''' ('''OCLP''') was a single-purpose Hong Kong ] campaign initiated by Reverend ], ] and ] on 27 March 2013. The campaign was launched on 24 September 2014,<ref name="Lo2015">{{cite book |last1=Lo |first1=Sonny |title=Hong Kong's Indigenous Democracy: Origins, Evolution and Contentions |date=2015 |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |location=London |isbn=978-1-349-56286-2 |pages=104–137 |chapter=Perspectives on the Occupy Central Movement}}</ref>{{rp|104}} partially leading to the ]. According to its manifesto, the campaign advocates for an electoral system in Hong Kong that is decided through a democratic process and satisfies international standards of universal and equal suffrage.<ref name="Lo2015"/>{{rp|107}} With the first three stages of the movement – dialogue, deliberation and citizens' authorization – the civil disobedience that follows must be non-violent.<ref name="Lo2015"/>{{rp|108}}
In 2013 and 2014, OCLP organised three sessions for deliberation and a civic referendum on the voting system to used for the election of the chief executive in 2017. It then submitted to the government the proposal that citizens selected in the referendum. As a response to Beijing's rejection of the proposal, OCLP originally planned to launch the protest campaign on 1 October 2014, the ].<ref>The Guardian , 31 August 2014</ref> However, OCLP announced the commencement of Occupy Central on 28 September, in the midst of the heated ]<ref>The Guardian , 22 September 2014</ref> organised by ] (HKFS) and ]. The student strikes developed into a wave of demonstrations, which led to civil disobedience and an occupy movement of unprecedented scale. ] gradually developed into a non-centralised ] spreading to several areas of Hong Kong that was largely organised by volunteers.<ref>BBC News , 28 September 2014</ref> OCLP stated that the ongoing protest " the Umbrella Movement, not 'Occupy Central'" and referred to themselves as supporters rather than the organisers of the protest.<ref name="Mingpao20141031">{{cite web|url=http://specials.mingpao.com/cfm/News.cfm?SpecialsID=137&News=8ab914df23750540e8fe411732d47722acdc4d613276542c808c1979aaf6640d8a82|title=戴耀廷:現是雨傘運動非佔中|work=Ming Pao|date=31 October 2014}}</ref>


The campaign called for occupation of Hong Kong's central business district, ], if the amendments were not made. Upstaged by the ] (HKFS) and ] in September 2014, its leaders joined in the ].<ref name="Manifesto">{{cite web|url=http://oclp.hk/index.php?route=occupy/eng_detail&eng_id=9|title=OCLP Manifesto|access-date=14 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140930065017/http://oclp.hk/index.php?route=occupy%2Feng_detail&eng_id=9|archive-date=30 September 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/06/occupy-central-hong-kong-democracy-campaign|title=Occupy Central gives downtown Hong Kong a taste of disobedience|newspaper=] |date= 6 March 2014}}</ref>
==Background==


OCLP had originally planned to launch its protest campaign on 1 October 2014, the ].<ref>Branigan, Tania (31 August 2014). , ''The Guardian''.</ref> OCLP stated that the ongoing protest was "the Umbrella Movement, not 'Occupy Central{{'"}} and referred to themselves as supporters rather than organisers.<ref name="Mingpao20141031">{{cite web|url=http://specials.mingpao.com/cfm/News.cfm?SpecialsID=137&News=8ab914df23750540e8fe411732d47722acdc4d613276542c808c1979aaf6640d8a82|title=戴耀廷:現是雨傘運動非佔中|work=Ming Pao|date=31 October 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141106154510/http://specials.mingpao.com/cfm/News.cfm?SpecialsID=137&News=8ab914df23750540e8fe411732d47722acdc4d613276542c808c1979aaf6640d8a82|archive-date=6 November 2014}}</ref> OCLP was disbanded by the founders when they surrendered to the police in December 2014.<ref name=20150120harbour>{{cite news|url=http://harbourtimes.com/openpublish/article/hong-kong-nationalism-student-editors-not-advocating-independence-its-option-20150120|title=Hong Kong Nationalism student editors: Not advocating independence, but it's an option|date=20 January 2015|newspaper=Harbour Times|access-date=8 October 2017|url-status=bot: unknown|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150306170933/http://harbourtimes.com/openpublish/article/hong-kong-nationalism-student-editors-not-advocating-independence-its-option-20150120|archive-date=6 March 2015}}</ref>

==Background==
{{main|Democratic development in Hong Kong}} {{main|Democratic development in Hong Kong}}
The pro-democracy camp petitioned the Hong Kong government and Beijing for the full implementation of universal suffrage as indicated in the ], which delineates the requirements for electing the chief executive.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.basiclaw.gov.hk/en/basiclawtext/chapter_4.html|title=Hong Kong Basic Law, Chapter IV : Political Structure}}</ref> Article 45 and Annex I of the Basic Law govern the election of the chief executive by universal suffrage: Election of the ] and seats in the ] by universal suffrage is established in the ] (see ]).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.basiclaw.gov.hk/en/basiclawtext/chapter_4.html|title=Hong Kong Basic Law, Chapter IV : Political Structure|access-date=30 September 2014|archive-date=30 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141230190055/http://www.basiclaw.gov.hk/en/basiclawtext/chapter_4.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>
{{cquote|''"The ] of the ] shall be selected by election or through consultations held locally and be appointed by the ].<ref name="HKbasicalaw">HK basic law web pdf. "." ''The Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative region of the People's Republic of China.'' Retrieved 8 January 2007.</ref>"''}}


{{quote|The ] of the ] shall be selected by election or through consultations held locally and be appointed by the ].<ref name="HKbasicalaw">HK basic law web pdf. "." ''The Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative region of the People's Republic of China.'' Retrieved 8 January 2007.</ref>}}
{{cquote|''"The method for selecting the chief executive shall be specified in the light of the actual situation in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and in accordance with the principle of gradual and orderly progress. The ultimate aim is the selection of the chief executive by ] upon nomination by a broadly representative nominating committee in accordance with ].<ref name="HKbasicalaw" />"''}}


{{quote|The method for selecting the chief executive shall be specified in the light of the actual situation in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and in accordance with the principle of gradual and orderly progress. The ultimate aim is the selection of the Chief Executive by ] upon nomination by a broadly representative nominating committee in accordance with ].<ref name="HKbasicalaw" />}}
In December 2007, the National People's Congress Law Committee officially ruled on the issue of universal suffrage in Hong Kong:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hklii.org/hk/legis/en/ord/2211/longtitle.html|title=Decision of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress on Issues Relating to the Methods For Selecting The Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region And For Forming The Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in the Year 2012 And on Issues Relating To Universal Suffrage (Adopted by the Standing Committee of the Tenth National People's Congress at Its Thirty-First Session on 29 December 2007)|work=Hong Kong Legal Information Institute}}</ref> {{cquote|''that the election of the fifth chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in the year 2017 may be implemented by the method of universal suffrage; that after the chief executive is selected by universal suffrage, the election of the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region may be implemented by the method of electing all the members by universal suffrage...''}}
The '']'' wrote in 2008 that both proposals for the Legislative Council (LegCo) and for the chief executive were "hedged in with so many ifs and buts that there is no guarantee of Hong Kong getting anything at all... "<ref name="Atimes1">"{{cite news|url=http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/JA11Ad01.html|title=Hong Kong on the march – again|newspaper=] |date= 11 January 2008}}</ref>


In December 2007, the National People's Congress Law Committee officially ruled on the issue of universal suffrage in Hong Kong:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hklii.org/hk/legis/en/ord/2211/longtitle.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081223214014/http://www.hklii.org/hk/legis/en/ord/2211/longtitle.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2008-12-23|title=Decision of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress on Issues Relating to the Methods For Selecting The Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region And For Forming The Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in the Year 2012 And on Issues Relating To Universal Suffrage (Adopted by the Standing Committee of the Tenth National People's Congress at Its Thirty-First Session on 29 December 2007)|work=Hong Kong Legal Information Institute}}</ref>
], the incumbent chief executive of Hong Kong, was to submit the local government's recommendation to Beijing on how to proceed with democratisation in the territory following consultations. {{As of|July 2014}} a round of consultations ended in early 2014, and another round of consultations was to take place in the second half.<ref>Shankar, Sneha (1 July 2014). . ''International Business Times''.</ref> Chinese political leaders have since repeatedly declared that the chief executive, which is to be elected by universal suffrage in 2017, "must conform to the standard of loving the country and loving Hong Kong".<ref name=20140426nyt>Buckley, Chris (25 April 2014). . ''The New York Times''.</ref> To that end, the government of Hong Kong, strongly backed by Beijing, reiterated that CE nominees be screened by a "broadly representative nominating committee", and that there was no provision for civic nominations.<ref name=20140426nyt/> The position was reaffirmed in a State Council white paper from June 2014.<ref>Xinhua (10 June 2014) . ''China Daily'',10 June 2014.</ref>

{{quote|that the election of the fifth chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in the year 2017 may be implemented by the method of universal suffrage; that after the chief executive is selected by universal suffrage, the election of the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region may be implemented by the method of electing all the members by universal suffrage...}}

The '']'' wrote in 2008 that both proposals for the Legislative Council (LegCo) and for the chief executive were "hedged in with so many ifs and buts that there is no guarantee of Hong Kong getting anything at all... "<ref name="Atimes1">" {{cite news|url=http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/JA11Ad01.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080512025125/http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/JA11Ad01.html|url-status=unfit|archive-date=12 May 2008|title=Hong Kong on the march – again|newspaper=] |date= 11 January 2008}}</ref>

After another six years of government inaction, on 16 January 2013, Benny Tai, then an associate professor of law at the University of Hong Kong, published an article in the '']'' in which he proposed an act of ] be carried out in Central, the business and financial centre of Hong Kong if the government failed to announce reforms introducing genuine universal suffrage. He set no specific timetable for such action.<ref name="16/1/13">{{cite web|url=http://www.hkej.com/template/dailynews/jsp/detail.jsp?dnews_id=3609&cat_id=6&title_id=571297&txtSearch=%E6%88%B4%E8%80%80%E5%BB%B7|work=]|title=公民抗命的最大殺傷力武器|access-date=27 March 2013|archive-date=1 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200401125739/http://www.hkej.com/template/dailynews/jsp/detail.jsp?dnews_id=3609&cat_id=6&title_id=571297&txtSearch=%E6%88%B4%E8%80%80%E5%BB%B7|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Reflecting increased polarisation, disaffection and frustration with government inaction and Beijing intransigence, on 21 March 2013, all 27 democratically inclined lawmakers of the Legislative Council joined in establishing the ], adopting a more determined and confrontational stance<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.atd.hk/en/?page_id=10|title=Alliance for True Democracy; Manifesto|website=Alliance for True Democracy|access-date=8 October 2017|archive-date=8 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171008180718/http://www.atd.hk/en/?page_id=10|url-status=dead}}</ref> than its recently failed and disbanded compromise-leaning predecessor, the ].

On 24 March 2013, ], then chairman of the Law Committee under the ] (NPCSC) startled Hongkongers by announcing that Chief Executive candidates must be persons who love the country and love Hong Kong, and who do not insist on confronting the central government.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=The Wall Street Journal|url=https://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2013/03/26/hong-kongs-future-leader-must-love-china/|title=Hong Kong's Future Leader Must 'Love China'|date=26 March 2013|last=Chen|first=Te-ping|access-date=8 October 2017}}</ref> The statement was taken as setting out new, vague pre-conditions for candidacy as a means of screening out candidates not sympathetic to Beijing's goals in Hong Kong, denying the promise of genuine democracy.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=Ming Pao|date=26 March 2017|title=Political Screening Unacceptable in Chief Executive Election|url=http://english.mingpao.com/cfm/database3b.cfm?File=20130326/critic/ema1.txt}}</ref><ref name="CLee">{{cite news|url=http://www.scmp.com/article/1199015/opposition-camp-members-cant-run-chief-executive-says-npc-official|newspaper=]|last1=Lee|first1=Colleen|last2=But|first2=Joshua|title=Opponents of Beijing ineligible to be CE: top Chinese official|date=25 March 2013}}</ref> OCLP was convened three days later.

==Formation==
]
On 16 January 2013, an article by Benny Tai Yiu-ting was published in the '']'', entitled 公民抗命的最大殺傷力武器 (''Civil Disobedience's Deadliest Weapon''). Tai postulated a seven-step progression: 10,000 participants signing a declaration (taking a vow and pledge of willingness to occupy the streets), live TV broadcast of discussions, electronic voting on methods for universal suffrage, a referendum on the preferred formula, resignation of Super-Seat Legislative Council member (then former ] Chairman ]) to be filled in a by-election to be seen as a referendum on the plan, civil disobedience, and, finally, Occupy Central in July 2014.<ref name="16/1/13"/> Tai repeated his plan at a forum held on 24 February 2013, emphasising the importance of the non-violence pledge.<ref name="25/2/13">{{cite news|title=Hot talk swirls on 'occupy Central' idea|last=Luk|first=Eddie|newspaper=]|date=25 February 2013|access-date=27 March 2013|url=http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=11&art_id=131351&sid=39060291&con_type=1|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106211405/http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=11&art_id=131351&sid=39060291&con_type=1|archive-date=6 January 2014|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

In an interview together with Ho on 6 March 2013, Tai spoke at length about his referendum and protest strategies to bring about universal suffrage in Hong Kong and stated: "This is a people's movement; frankly speaking, the central government will have to accept or reject it; if they reject it, we will block the streets."<ref name=Inmedia>{{cite web|url=http://www.inmediahk.net/albert-ho-chun-yan-promised-resign-pave-way-occupy-central-movement |title=Albert Ho Chun-Yan Promised to Resign to pave way for the Occupy Central Movement |last=Chan|first=Melody |date=12 March 2013 |access-date=9 October 2017 |website=]}}, Chinese original at https://web.archive.org/web/20130310042455/http://www.inmediahk.net/hotai</ref>

OCLP was launched at a press conference hosted by its three founders, Reverend ], Benny Tai Yiu-ting, and ], on 27 March 2013 at which they presented its manifesto.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=The New York Times|url=https://rendezvous.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/04/04/occupy-hong-kong-for-universal-suffrage/|title='Occupy' Hong Kong, for Universal Suffrage|last=Tatlow|first=Didi Kirsten|date=4 April 2013|access-date=9 October 2017}}</ref>


==Objectives== ==Objectives==
] ]
]
On 16 January 2013, Benny Tai, Associate Professor at the University of Hong Kong, published an article in the '']'' in which he proposed an act of ] carried out in Central, the business and financial centre of Hong Kong, to put pressure on the government if its universal suffrage proposals proved to be "fake" democracy.<ref name="16/1/13">{{cite web|url=http://www.hkej.com/template/dailynews/jsp/detail.jsp?dnews_id=3609&cat_id=6&title_id=571297&txtSearch=%E6%88%B4%E8%80%80%E5%BB%B7|work=]|title=公民抗命的最大殺傷力武器|accessdate=27 March 2013}}</ref>


OCLP states that it would campaign for universal suffrage through dialogue, ], civil referendum and civil disobedience (Occupy Central);<ref name="Manifesto">{{cite web|url=http://oclp.hk/index.php?route=occupy/eng_detail&eng_id=9|title=Occupy Central with Love and Peace|work=Occupy Central with Love and Peace}}</ref> it also demands that the ] should satisfy the "international standards" in relation to universal suffrage, i.e. equal number of vote, equal weight for each vote and no unreasonable restrictions on the right to stand for election, and the final proposal for the electoral reform to be decided by means of democratic process. OCLP claims that any civil disobedience would be non-violent<ref name="Manifesto"/> though it cannot guarantee Occupy Central will be absolutely peaceful.<ref name=risky>{{cite news|title=Occupy Central is action based on risky thinking|url=http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?art_id=146299&con_type=3|publisher=The Standard}}</ref> OCLP's manifesto stated that it would campaign for universal suffrage through dialogue, ], civil referendum and civil disobedience (Occupy Central);<ref name="Manifesto" /> it also demanded that any ] should satisfy international standards in relation to universal suffrage, i.e. equal number of votes, equal weight for each vote and no unreasonable restrictions on the right to stand for election, and that the final proposal for electoral reform be decided by means of a genuine democratic process. The founders emphasised their objective of non-violent civil disobedience<ref name="Manifesto"/> but, as their campaign had no leaders nor membership, what acts members of the public adopted was a matter for them to decide as individuals.<ref name=risky>{{cite news|title=Occupy Central is action based on risky thinking|url=http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?art_id=146299&con_type=3|work=The Standard|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140912212732/http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?art_id=146299&con_type=3|archive-date=12 September 2014}}</ref>


==Democratic Party support==
==Deliberations==
On 5 February 2014, the ] staged a public oath-taking, at ], with members swearing to join in Occupy Central irrespective of the risk of arrest and imprisonment. Members of ], disparaging of the Democratic Party's failure to demand direct civil nomination of Chief Executive candidates in its platform, disrupted the ceremony.<ref>{{cite news|title=People Power radicals disrupt Democratic Party's Occupy Central event|last=Lau|first=Stewart|url=http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1421488/democratic-party-protest-mob-occupy-central-albert-ho|newspaper=South China Morning Post|date=5 February 2014}}</ref>
{{See also|2014 Hong Kong electoral reform}}
The three sessions of deliberation day were held on 9 June 2013, 9 March 2014, and 6 May 2014 respectively.


==Deliberations on reform==
On 5 February 2014, the ] swore to take part in the Occupy Central campaign at ] despite the risk of being jailed. Some relatively radical democrats, mostly ] disrupted the oath-taking ceremony. The 20-member group of pan-democratic lawmakers condemned the radicals at a joint press conference afterwards.<ref>{{cite news|title=Democrat split denied after oath-taking fracas|url=http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=11&art_id=142267&sid=41510902&con_type=1|newspaper=THe Standard|date=7 February 2014}}</ref>
{{See also|2014 Hong Kong electoral reform}}
Deliberation days were organised by OCLP on 9 June 2013,<ref name="POPCON">{{cite web|url=http://popcon.hkupop.hku.hk/popcon_v1/index_OCLP.php?lang=en|work=POPCON|title="OCLP Deliberation Series" Feature Page|access-date=21 June 2014|archive-date=9 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141009060348/http://popcon.hkupop.hku.hk/popcon_v1/index_OCLP.php?lang=en|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref> Ming Pao Newspaper, 10 June 2013 (in Chinese)</ref> 9 March 2014,<ref> Ming Pao Newspaper, 10 March 2014 (in Chinese)</ref> and 6 May 2014,<ref> Ming Pao Newspaper, 7 May 2014 (in Chinese)</ref> at which attendees were invited to exchange views on strategies to be adopted to achieve democratic reform.


On the third deliberation day, the Occupy Central participants voted on electoral reform proposals put forward by different organisations for the civil referendum. A total of 2,508 votes were cast in the poll; all three selected proposals contained the concept of civil nomination, which the mainland China officials had said did not comply with the Basic Law. The proposal by student groups ] and ] which allows for public nomination, received 1,124 votes – 45 percent of the vote. People Power's proposal came in second with 685 votes, while that from the three-track proposal by the ] consisting of 27 pan-democracy lawmakers got 445 votes. The proposal from ] received 43 votes, while the civil recommendation proposed by 18 academics got 74 votes.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=11&art_id=145115&sid=42211090&con_type=1|title=Students' reform proposals get the thumbs-up|first=Kelly|last=Ip|date=7 May 2014|newspaper=The Standard}}</ref> On the third deliberation day, the Occupy Central participants voted on electoral reform proposals put forward by various pro-democracy groups, with the objective of determining which should be put to a plebiscite. Five proposals were put to the attendees and the three most popular selected. The proposal by student groups ] and ] which allowed for public nomination, received 1,124 votes – 45 percent of the vote. People Power's proposal came in second with 685 votes, while the three-track proposal by the ] consisting of 27 pan-democracy lawmakers got 445 votes. The civil recommendation method proposed by 18 academics got 74 votes and ]'s proposal came in last with 43 votes.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=11&art_id=145115&sid=42211090&con_type=1|title=Students' reform proposals get the thumbs-up|first=Kelly|last=Ip|date=7 May 2014|newspaper=The Standard|access-date=7 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714201128/http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=11&art_id=145115&sid=42211090&con_type=1|archive-date=14 July 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> A total of 2,508 votes were cast in the poll.


The three proposals chosen by the members of Occupy Central deliberation panel were considered to be more radical. The ] and People Power lawmakers, despite being part of the Alliance for True Democracy, urged their supporters to vote against the alliance's proposals.<ref name="D-Day3">{{cite news|title=Can alliance survive after Occupy vote?|first1=Gary|last1=Cheung|first2=Tanna|last2=Chong|first3=Tony|last3=Cheung}}</ref> More moderate ] that avoided the notion of civic nomination were effectively squeezed out.<ref name=20140515hks>Luk, Eddie (15 May 2014). . ''The Standard''</ref><ref>Chong, Tanna (8 May 2014). , ''South China Morning Post''</ref> Civic Party lawmaker ], who saw his moderate plan rejected in a poll believed "the Occupy Central movement has been hijacked by radicals". He believed that the poll results would make it harder to find a reform package Beijing would agree to and that wins over the five or so pan-democrats it will need for a two-thirds majority in LegCo. He also believed Occupy's plan to block streets in Central would be likely to go ahead.<ref name="D-Day3"/> This, and the decision of People Power and the League of Social Democrats to go back on pledges to support the alliance's proposals, and of People Power to make its own proposal that included civil nomination, pointed to a split in pan democrat ranks.<ref name=20140515hks/><ref>. RTHK. 14 May 2014</ref> All three selected proposals included the concept of civil nomination, which the mainland authorities had already flatly rejected as not compliant with the Basic Law. The three chosen proposals were thus considered to be the more radical, leaving moderate ] in the cold, laying the ground for friction and division among democrats.<ref name=20140515hks>Luk, Eddie (15 May 2014). {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714230604/http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?we_cat=4&art_id=145408&sid=42265766&con_type=1&d_str=20140515&fc=7 |date=14 July 2014 }}. ''The Standard''</ref><ref>Chong, Tanna (8 May 2014). , '']''</ref> The ] and People Power lawmakers, notwithstanding their common membership in the Alliance for True Democracy, had urged their supporters to vote against the Alliance.<ref name="D-Day3">{{cite news|title=Can alliance survive after Occupy vote?|first1=Gary|last1=Cheung|first2=Tanna|last2=Chong|first3=Tony|last3=Cheung}}</ref> Snubbed Civic Party lawmaker ], who had seen his moderate plan soundly marginalised in the poll believed "the Occupy Central movement has been hijacked by radicals". He believed that the poll results would make it harder to find a reform package agreeable to Beijing. He thought Occupy Central's plan to block streets in Central was likely to materialise.<ref name="D-Day3"/><ref name=20140515hks/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://rthk.hk/rthk/news/englishnews/news.htm?englishnews&20140514&56&1006256 |title=Plurality backed as democrats 'divide' |website=RTHK |date=14 May 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140707132957/http://rthk.hk/rthk/news/englishnews/news.htm?englishnews&20140514&56&1006256 |archive-date= 7 July 2014 }}</ref>


==Civic referendum== ==Civic referendum==
{{Infobox multichoice referendum {{Infobox multichoice referendum
| title = Civil Referendum | name = Civil Referendum
| image = | image =
| image_alt = | image_alt =
| caption = | caption =
| date = 20 – {{End date|df=yes|2014|06|29}} | date = 20 – {{End date|df=yes|2014|06|29}}
| location = ] | location = ]
| voting_system = ] | voting_system = ]
| width =300px | width =300px
Line 121: Line 156:
| part1_choice2 = Students proposal | part1_choice2 = Students proposal
| part1_percentage2 = 38.4 | part1_percentage2 = 38.4
| part1_choice3 = People Power proposal | part1_choice3 = People Power proposal
| part1_percentage3 = 10.4 | part1_percentage3 = 10.4
| part1_choice4 = Abstention | part1_choice4 = Abstention
Line 135: Line 170:
| website = | website =
}} }}
OCLP commissioned the University of Hong Kong Public Opinion Programme (HKUPOP) to run a poll on three proposals – all of which involve allowing citizens to directly nominate candidates – to present to the Beijing government. It ran from 20 to 29 June 2014.<ref name="unofficial referendum Guardian">{{cite news|title=Hong Kong's unofficial pro-democracy referendum irks Beijing|url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jun/25/hong-kong-unofficial-pro-democracy-referendum-beijing|first=Jonathan|last=Kaiman|date=25 June 2014|work=The Guardian}}</ref> A total of 792,808 people, equivalent to a fifth of the registered electorate, took part in the poll by either voting online or going to designated polling stations,.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-28076566|publisher=BBC|title=Hong Kong democracy 'referendum' draws nearly 800,000|date=30 June 2014}}</ref> The two referendum questions were "For CE Election 2017, I support OCLP to submit this proposal to the Government: 1. Alliance for True Democracy Proposal, 2. People Power Proposal, 3. Students Proposal, or Abstention" and "If the government proposal cannot satisfy international standards allowing genuine choices by electors, LegCo should veto it, my stance is: LegCo should veto, LegCo should not veto, or abstain" respectively. OCLP commissioned the University of Hong Kong Public Opinion Programme (HKUPOP) to run a poll on three proposals – all of which involved allowing citizens to directly nominate candidates – for presentation to the Beijing government. It ran from 20 to 29 June 2014.<ref name="unofficial referendum Guardian">{{cite news|title=Hong Kong's unofficial pro-democracy referendum irks Beijing|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jun/25/hong-kong-unofficial-pro-democracy-referendum-beijing|first=Jonathan|last=Kaiman|date=25 June 2014|work=The Guardian |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231115091735/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jun/25/hong-kong-unofficial-pro-democracy-referendum-beijing |archive-date= Nov 15, 2023 }}</ref> A total of 792,808 people, equivalent to over one fifth of the registered electorate,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.elections.gov.hk/legco2016/eng/turnout.html?1507448322993|title=2016 Legislative Council Election - Voter Turnout Rate |date= 12 January 2017 |publisher=Electoral Affairs Commission, Hong Kong Government|access-date=8 October 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240512225847/https://www.elections.gov.hk/legco2016/eng/turnout.html?1715554734124 |archive-date= 12 May 2024 }}</ref> took part in the poll by either voting online or going to designated polling stations.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-28076566|publisher=BBC|title=Hong Kong democracy 'referendum' draws nearly 800,000|date=30 June 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240330175443/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-28076566 |archive-date= Mar 30, 2024 }}</ref>


The proposal tabled by the Alliance for True Democracy, a group comprising 26 of the 27 pan-democratic lawmakers, won the unofficial "referendum" by securing 331,427 votes, or 42.1 per cent of the 787,767 valid ballots. A joint blueprint put forward by Scholarism and the Hong Kong Federation of Students came second with 302,567 votes (38.4 per cent), followed by a People Power's proposal, which clinched 81,588 votes (10.4 per cent).<ref name=20140630hks>Luk, Eddie (30 June 2014). . ''The Standard''</ref><ref name="ATD wins">{{cite news|url=http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1543231/nearly-800000-hongkongers-vote-occupy-central-poll?page=all|title=Alliance for True Democracy proposal wins Occupy Central poll as nearly 800,000 Hongkongers vote|date=29 June 2014|newspaper=South China Morning Post|first1=Tony|last1=Cheung|first2=Jeffie|last2=Lam|first3=Joyce|last3=Ng|first4=Gary|last4=Cheung}}</ref> All three call for the public to be allowed to nominate candidates for the 2017 chief executive election, an idea repeatedly dismissed by Beijing as inconsistent with the Basic Law. However, the Alliance's "three track" proposal would allow the public, the nominating committee, as well as political parties, to put forward candidates. Under their plan, candidates can be nominated by 35,000 registered voters or by a party which secured at least five per cent of the vote in the last Legco election. It did not specify on the formation of the nominating committee, only stating that it should be "as democratic as it can be". The two other proposals would only allow the public and a nominating committee to put forward candidates.<ref name="ATD wins"/> 691,972 voters (87.8 per cent) agreed that the Legislative Council should veto any reform proposal put forward by the government if it failed to meet international standards, compared with 7.5 per cent who disagreed.<ref name="ATD wins"/> The proposal tabled by the Alliance for True Democracy, a group comprising 26 of the 27 pan-democratic lawmakers, won the unofficial referendum by securing 331,427 votes, or 42.1 per cent of the 787,767 valid ballots. A joint blueprint put forward by Scholarism and the Hong Kong Federation of Students came second with 302,567 votes (38.4 per cent), followed by the People Power proposal, which garnered 81,588 votes (10.4 per cent).<ref name=20140630hks>{{cite web|last=Luk|first=Eddie|url=http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?we_cat=11&art_id=146908&sid=42538382&con_type=1&d_str=20140630&fc=1|title=Alliance proposal wins the day|newspaper=The Standard|date=30 June 2014|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714221707/http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?we_cat=11&art_id=146908&sid=42538382&con_type=1&d_str=20140630&fc=1|archive-date=14 July 2014}}</ref><ref name="ATD wins">{{cite news|url=http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1543231/nearly-800000-hongkongers-vote-occupy-central-poll |url-access=subscription |title=Alliance for True Democracy proposal wins Occupy Central poll as nearly 800,000 Hongkongers vote|date=29 June 2014|newspaper=South China Morning Post|first1=Tony|last1=Cheung|first2=Jeffie|last2=Lam|first3=Joyce|last3=Ng|first4=Gary|last4=Cheung |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924190902/http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1543231/nearly-800000-hongkongers-vote-occupy-central-poll?page=all |archive-date= Sep 24, 2015 }}</ref> All three called for the public to be allowed to nominate candidates for the 2017 Chief Executive election, an idea repeatedly dismissed by Beijing as inconsistent with the Basic Law. The Alliance's provided for nomination by the election committee and by political parties, as well. The plan was not specific on method of formation of the nominating committee, only stating that it should be "as democratic as it can be". The two other proposals were for nomination by the public and nominating committee only.<ref name="ATD wins"/> 691,972 voters (87.8 per cent) agreed that the Legislative Council should veto any reform proposal put forward by the government if it failed to meet international standards, compared with 7.5 per cent who disagreed.<ref name="ATD wins"/>


The unofficial "referendum" infuriated Beijing and prompted a flurry of vitriolic editorials, preparatory police exercises and cyber-attacks. As the poll opened, it was quickly hit by what one US-based cyber-security firm called the "most sophisticated onslaught ever seen". " continue to use different strategies over time," Matthew Prince, the chief executive of ], a firm that helped defend against the attack, told the '']''. "It is pretty unique and sophisticated." The firm could not identify the origin of the attack.<ref name="unofficial referendum Guardian"/> Mainland officials and newspapers have called the poll "illegal" while many have condemned the Occupy Central, claiming it is motivated by foreign "anti-China forces" and will damage Hong Kong's standing as a financial capital.<ref name="unofficial referendum Guardian"/> On Tuesday, ], a former deputy director of Xinhua News Agency in Hong Kong, called the poll "meaningless". The state-run '']'' mocked the referendum as an "illegal farce" and "a joke". The territory's chief executive, Leung Chun-Ying, said: "Nobody should place Hong Kong people in confrontation with mainland Chinese citizens." Mainland censors have meanwhile scrubbed social media sites clean of references to Occupy Central.<ref name="unofficial referendum Guardian"/> The unofficial referendum infuriated Beijing. Mainland officials and newspapers called it "illegal" while many condemned Occupy Central, claiming it was operating at the behest of foreign "anti-China forces" and would damage Hong Kong's standing as a financial capital.<ref name="unofficial referendum Guardian"/> ], a former deputy director of Xinhua News Agency in Hong Kong, denounced the poll as "meaningless". The state-run '']'' mocked the referendum as an "illegal farce" and a "joke". The region's chief executive, ], offered this rebuke: "Nobody should place Hong Kong people in confrontation with mainland Chinese citizens." Mainland censors meanwhile scrubbed social media sites clean of references to Occupy Central.<ref name="unofficial referendum Guardian"/> The poll also prompted a flurry of vitriolic editorials, preparatory police exercises and sophisticated cyber-attacks where strategies evolved over time. According to ], a firm that helped defend against a "unique and sophisticated" attack,<ref name="unofficial referendum Guardian"/> the volume of traffic was an unprecedented 500&nbsp;Gbit/s and involved at least five ]s. OCLP's servers were bombarded with in excess of 250&nbsp;million DNS requests per second, equivalent to the average volume of legitimate DNS requests for the entire Internet.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/parmyolson/2014/11/20/the-largest-cyber-attack-in-history-has-been-hitting-hong-kong-sites/|title=The Largest Cyber Attack in History Has Been Hitting Hong Kong Sites|date=20 November 2014|website=Forbes|last=Olson|first=Parmy|access-date=9 October 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20231227023537/https://www.forbes.com/sites/parmyolson/2014/11/20/the-largest-cyber-attack-in-history-has-been-hitting-hong-kong-sites/?sh=78d0c11938f6 |archive-date= Dec 27, 2023 }}</ref>


Before the referendum, the ] issued a ] claiming "comprehensive jurisdiction" over the territory.<ref>Yung, Chester (10 June 2014). . ''The Wall Street Journal''.</ref> "The high degree of autonomy of the HKSAR is not full autonomy, nor a decentralised power," it said. "It is the power to run local affairs as authorised by the central leadership." Michael DeGolyer, director of the transition project at ], said: "It's very clear from surveys that the vast majority of the people voting in this referendum are doing it as a reaction to this white paper – particularly because they see it as threatening the rule of law ... That's not negotiating on the one country two systems principle, that's demolishing it."<ref name="unofficial referendum Guardian"/> Before the referendum, the ] issued a ] claiming "comprehensive jurisdiction" over the territory.<ref>Yung, Chester (10 June 2014). . ''The Wall Street Journal''.</ref> "The high degree of autonomy of the HKSAR is not full autonomy, nor a decentralised power," it said. "It is the power to run local affairs as authorised by the central leadership." Michael DeGolyer, director of the transition project at ], said: "It's very clear from surveys that the vast majority of the people voting in this referendum are doing it as a reaction to this white paper – particularly because they see it as threatening the rule of law ... That's not negotiating on the one country two systems principle, that's demolishing it."<ref name="unofficial referendum Guardian"/>


==Criminal liability for OCLP protesters==
==Legality==


The OCLP has pointed out the participants in Occupy Central could be guilty of "obstructing, inconveniencing or endangering a person or vehicle in a public place" under the Summary Offenses Ordinance. However, under the Public Order Ordinance, Occupy Central is considered as ], i.e., "when three or more people assemble... to cause any person reasonably to fear that the persons so assembled will commit a breach of the peace or will by such conduct provoke other persons to commit a breach of the peace, they are an unlawful assembly." The Hong Kong ] ] stated that the government will "take robust action to uphold the rule of law and maintain safety and order."<ref name=risky/> The OCLP has pointed out the participants in Occupy Central could be guilty of "obstructing, inconveniencing or endangering a person or vehicle in a public place" under the Summary Offenses Ordinance. However, under the Public Order Ordinance, Occupy Central was considered as ], i.e., "when three or more people assemble... to cause any person reasonably to fear that the persons so assembled will commit a breach of the peace or will by such conduct provoke other persons to commit a breach of the peace, they are an unlawful assembly." The Hong Kong ] ] stated that the government will "take robust action to uphold the rule of law and maintain safety and order."<ref name=risky/>


OCLP has also published a "manual of disobedience" to inform protesters on what to do in the event that they are detained. <ref>http://oclp.hk/index.php?route=occupy/eng_detail&eng_id=28</ref> OCLP also published a "manual of disobedience" to inform protesters what to do in the event of being detained.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://oclp.hk/index.php?route=occupy/eng_detail&eng_id=28|title=OCLP – Manual of Disobedience |website=Occupy Central with Love and Peace|access-date=9 October 2017}}</ref>


==Reactions== ==Reactions to formation and objective==


===SAR government=== ===SAR government===
] ] warned that the Occupy Central movement is bound to be neither peaceful nor legal and that actions will be taken to maintain law and order.<ref>{{cite news|title=Crackdown warning over 'illegal' Occupy move|url=http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?art_id=134475&con_type=1|first1=Kelly|last1=Ip|first2=Eddie|last2=Luk|date=10 June 2014|newspaper=The Standard}}</ref>


On 21 March 2013, in an apparent response to reports of Tai's statements early that month and the formation that day of the ], ] ] said that any attempt to block major thoroughfares in Central would not be tolerated and warned people to think twice about joining the Occupy Central protest.<ref>{{cite news|title='Occupy Central' plan draws warnings|url=http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1196531/occupy-central-plan-draws-warnings|newspaper=South China Morning Post|access-date=22 March 2013|date=22 March 2013}}</ref>
Secretary for Security Lai Tung-kwok warned that the radical elements of Occupy Central may cause serious disturbances like the violent incident during the meeting for funding the northeast New Territories new town in ]; he reminded the participants to consider their own personal safety and legal liability.<ref name=risky/>


In June 2014, with pressure building in view of the original plan for July 2014 occupy action, ] ] warned that the Occupy Central movement was bound to be neither peaceful nor legal and that actions will be taken to maintain law and order<ref>{{cite news|title=Crackdown warning over 'illegal' Occupy move|url=http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?art_id=134475&con_type=1|first1=Kelly|last1=Ip|first2=Eddie|last2=Luk|date=10 June 2014|newspaper=The Standard|access-date=7 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714225145/http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?art_id=134475&con_type=1|archive-date=14 July 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> and Secretary for Security Lai Tung-kwok warned that radical elements of Occupy Central may cause serious disturbances like the violent incident at the ] during the meeting for funding the northeast New Territories new town. Lai reminded the participants to consider their own personal safety and legal liability.<ref name=risky/>
] ] said that any attempt to block major thoroughfares in Central will not be tolerated and warned people to think twice about joining the Occupy Central protest, adding "any collective act to hold up traffic unlawfully" would not be tolerated.<ref>{{cite news|title='Occupy Central' plan draws warnings|url=http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1196531/occupy-central-plan-draws-warnings|newspaper=South China Morning Post|accessdate=22 March 2013|date=22 March 2013}}</ref>


===PRC government=== ===PRC government===


====Officials' response==== ====Officials' response====
], director of the ], when asked if he believed the Occupy Central plan was beneficial to the city, said "I think Hong Kong compatriots don't want to see Hong Kong being messed up. Hong Kong needs development."<ref name="25/3/13">{{cite news|url=http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1199036/occupy-central-plan-gets-hong-kong-affairs-chiefs-thumbs-down|title=Occupy Central plan gets Hong Kong affairs chief's thumbs down|last1=Lee|first1=Colleen|last2=But|first2=Joshua|date=25 March 2013|accessdate=27 March 2013|newspaper=South China Morning Post}}</ref> On 24 March 2013, ], director of the ], when asked if he believed the Occupy Central plan would be beneficial to the city, said "I think Hong Kong compatriots don't want to see Hong Kong being messed up. Hong Kong needs development."<ref name="25/3/13">{{cite news|url=http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1199036/occupy-central-plan-gets-hong-kong-affairs-chiefs-thumbs-down|title=Occupy Central plan gets Hong Kong affairs chief's thumbs down|last1=Lee|first1=Colleen|last2=But|first2=Joshua|date=25 March 2013|access-date=27 March 2013|newspaper=South China Morning Post}}</ref> At the same time, Qiao Xiaoyang, chairman of the ] Law Committee, was quoted as accusing the "opposition camp" of "fuelling" the Occupy Central plan. Qiao said the plan was only "partly truthful", "complex" and a "risk-everything" proposition.<ref name="25/3/13"/>

Qiao Xiaoyang, chairman of the ] Law Committee, was quoted as accusing the "opposition camp" of "fuelling" the Occupy Central plan. Qiao said the plan was only "partly truthful", "complex" and a "risk-everything" proposition.<ref name="25/3/13"/>

In October 2013 the party-controlled ] objected to Occupy organizers meeting with ] figures such as ] in Taiwan, saying that the DPP, the main opposition party to Taiwan's governing ], was "pro-independence." In a piece titled "HK opposition at risk of becoming ]," Occupy organizers were warned that "collaborating with the pro-independence forces in Taiwan will put Hong Kong's future at the risk of violence," and advised that "if they collaborated... massive chaos might be created, which will compel the central government to impose tough measures to maintain Hong Kong's stability."<ref> '']'' 24 October 2013</ref> A few days later the paper said that Occupy Central was a "potentially violent concept" and asked "Why are Benny Tai Yiu-ting, who initiated the Occupy Central campaign and his supporters so bold as to challenge the central government with a bloody proposal over the issue of chief executive election procedures?"<ref> '']'' 4 November 2013</ref>


====Censorship==== ====Censorship====
The Occupy Central campaign was censored from ] and replaced by reports of government supporters gathering near the Tamar government headquarters to endorse the central government's plan.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/29/china-censors-images-hong-kong-protests|title=China censors images of Hong Kong protests in TV broadcasts to mainland|date=29 September 2014|access-date=9 October 2017|last=Kaiman|first=Jonathan}}</ref> Users of the mainland-controlled messaging application ] observed that Occupy Central content sent by them was filtered out of their messages as viewed by their addressees.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1607452/wechat-allegedly-censoring-photos-hong-kong-protests|title=WeChat allegedly censoring photos from Hong Kong protests|newspaper=South China Morning Post|date=2 October 2014|last=Luo|first=Chris|access-date=9 October 2017}}</ref> Social media such as ] came under never-before-seen levels of censorship.<ref>{{cite news|title=Record censorship of China's social media as references to Hong Kong protests blocked|url=http://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1603869/record-censorship-chinas-social-media-references-hong-kong|last=Boehler|first=Patrick|newspaper=South China Morning Post|date=29 September 2014|access-date=9 October 2017}}</ref> Usually accessible ] was blocked entirely.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.ft.com/content/aa0e81a4-479e-11e4-ac9f-00144feab7de|newspaper=Financial Times|title=HK protests: the censored view from Beijing|last=Mitchell|first=Tom|date=29 September 2014|access-date=9 October 2017}}</ref>
Occupy Central protests has been censored in mainland China news media. On nationalist newspaper, Occupy Central is described as an "illicit campaign" which will "jeopardise the global image of Hong Kong" and "erode the authority of the rule of law". The demonstrators are described as "radical opposition forces" and a small minority of extremists who are not capable of mobilising the mass towards revolution.<ref>Global Times , Editorial</ref> In all state mouthpiece, the general opinion in editorials and commentary is trivialising the scale, significance and the unlikelihood of Occupy Central's success, reassurance of the Communist party's complete power over Hong Kong's affairs and painting a picture of majority of Hong Kong people welcome the 2017 political framework.

On Sunday 28 September, the state-controlled news channel Dragon TV broadcast the images of few thousand people jubilantly waving Chinese flags, participating in a celebration of the upcoming 65th anniversary of China National Day in Tamar Park whilst the coverage on student protest was missing. Interviewees overwhelmingly welcomed China's framework and decision for Hong Kong's 2017 election.

On 28 September, photo-sharing app ] was blocked in Mainland China after the photos and videos of the use of tear gas went viral online. Phrases like "Tear Gas", "Hong Kong Students" and "Occupy Central" are censored on the largest search engine in China ], ] (China Twitter).<ref>BBC News </ref> Experts reported that he received "hundreds of complaints from people on Twitter saying their Weibo accounts had been either blocked or deleted, most because they talked about the Hong Kong issue."<ref>The Guardian , Jonathan Kaiman</ref> Mobile messaging service providers ] also reported disruptions of their service,<ref>PC World , Michael Kan</ref> which protestors circumvented via the ] app ].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://citizenlab.org/2014/07/asia-chats-update-line-kakaotalk-firechat-china/|title=/asia-chats-update-line-kakaotalk-firechat-china/|work=The Citizen Lab|accessdate=14 October 2014}}</ref><ref>http://boingboing.net/2014/09/29/faced-with-network-surveillanc.html</ref>


===Pro-democracy camp=== ===Pro-democracy camp===
] lawmaker ] said he saw the ideas as "the last resort" to pressure Beijing and the SAR administration to introduce universal suffrage. "If Beijing breaks its promise of universal suffrage," he added, "we will have no option but to launch such a civil disobedience movement."<ref name="25/2/13">{{cite news|title=Hot talk swirls on 'occupy Central' idea|last=Luk|first=Eddie|newspaper=]|date=25 February 2013|accessdate=27 March 2013|url=http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=11&art_id=131351&sid=39060291&con_type=1}}</ref> In February 2013, ] lawmaker ] said he saw the ideas as "the last resort" to pressure Beijing and the SAR administration to introduce universal suffrage. "If Beijing breaks its promise of universal suffrage," he added, "we will have no option but to launch such a civil disobedience movement."<ref name="25/2/13" />


] of ] claimed he would resign from his legislator post to grant Hong Kong people the opportunity to vote in a ''de facto'' referendum to pave way for the Occupy Central movement, just as the pan-democrats launched the ] for universal suffrage in 2012.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.inmediahk.net/albert-ho-chun-yan-promised-resign-pave-way-occupy-central-movement|title=Albert Ho Chun-Yan Promised to Resign to pave way for the Occupy Central Movement|last=Lee|first=Sau-woon|publisher=inmediahk.net|date=12 March 2013|accessdate=27 March 2013}}</ref>{{verify credibility|date=April 2013}} ] of the ] undertook to resign his legislator post to enforce a de facto referendum on universal suffrage just as the pan-democrats had done by triggering the ].<ref name=Inmedia />


The pan-democrats' reactions were not uniformly supportive. ] has expressed fears that the movement would deteriorate,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hk.news.yahoo.com/%E7%A8%B1%E6%9C%AA%E8%88%87%E8%95%AD%E8%AB%87%E4%BD%94%E9%A0%98%E4%B8%AD%E7%92%B0-%E9%BB%83%E6%AF%93%E6%B0%91-%E7%84%A1%E5%88%86%E6%AD%A7%E7%84%A1%E5%85%B1%E8%AD%98-211455111.html;_ylt=AvR11pUzpfm3Ka1S0sDE5AOwVsd_;_ylu=X3oDMTR0cWpvbGRwBG1pdANBcnRpY2xlIFJlbGF0ZWQgVGV4dCBDYXJvdXNlbCBkZWZhdWx0BHBrZwNjYmM0YjI3Ni01YWRlLTM2MmEtODcwNS0wMDBiMzlhNDgzMTYEcG9zAzMEc2VjA01lZGlhQXJ0aWNsZVJlbGF0ZWRUZXh0BHZlcgNiNWJjNTBkMC05M2ZlLTExZTItOWVmYy1hNmM4Nzg4NmNkZDc-;_ylg=X3oDMTJ1MDlybGV2BGludGwDaGsEbGFuZwN6aC1oYW50LWhrBHBzdGFpZAM3YmIyMmY3Ny1kZWNkLTM3ZDctODdiMi0xNmU2MTY3MDhjOGQEcHN0Y2F0A.a4r.iBngRwdANzdG9yeXBhZ2U-;_ylv=3|date=24 March 2013|accessdate=5 April 2013|title=稱未與蕭談佔領中環 黃毓民﹕無分歧無共識}}</ref> while ] was strongly opposed to the movement.<ref name="shidai">{{cite web|url=http://news.hk.msn.com/sunday/%E4%B8%80%E5%80%8B%E6%99%82%E4%BB%A3%E7%9A%84%E7%B5%82%E7%B5%90|date=24 March 2013|accessdate=5 April 2013|title=一個時代的終結}}</ref> Not all democrats' reactions were supportive. ], of ], for example, was strongly opposed to the movement.<ref name="shidai">{{cite web|url=http://news.hk.msn.com/sunday/%E4%B8%80%E5%80%8B%E6%99%82%E4%BB%A3%E7%9A%84%E7%B5%82%E7%B5%90|date=24 March 2013|access-date=5 April 2013|title=一個時代的終結|url-status=bot: unknown|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130413185832/http://news.hk.msn.com/sunday/%E4%B8%80%E5%80%8B%E6%99%82%E4%BB%A3%E7%9A%84%E7%B5%82%E7%B5%90|archive-date=13 April 2013}} in Chinese</ref>


===Pro-Beijing camp=== ===Pro-Beijing camp===
Cheung Kwok-kwan, vice-chairman of the pro-Beijing ], questioned whether Hong Kong could "afford the negative impact of people staging a rally to occupy and even paralyze Central for a universal suffrage model". He noted that it was "a mainstream idea" in the SAR not to resort to radical means to fight for democracy.<ref name="25/2/13"/> ], a ] member, feared the occupation would adversely affect Hong Kong's image.<ref name="27/3/13">{{cite news|url=http://www.chinadailyapac.com/article/npc-deputies-blast-%E2%80%9Coccupy-central%E2%80%9D-threat-opposition|title=NPC deputies blast 'Occupy Central' threat by opposition|newspaper=China Daily|date=11 March 2013|accessdate=27 March 2013|first=Kahon|last=Chan}}</ref> ] Deputy and Executive Councilor ] urged the opposition camp to show respect for each other through a rational and pragmatic debate over the issue. She added that there was no need to resort to "extreme action" and claimed that it was not too late to begin consultations next year.<ref name="27/3/13"/> ], vice-chairman of the pro-Beijing ], questioned whether Hong Kong could "afford the negative impact of people staging a rally to occupy and even paralyze Central for a universal suffrage model". He noted that it was "a mainstream idea" in the SAR not to resort to radical means to fight for democracy.<ref name="25/2/13"/> ], a ] member, feared the occupation would adversely affect Hong Kong's image.<ref name="27/3/13">{{cite news|url=http://www.chinadailyapac.com/article/npc-deputies-blast-%E2%80%9Coccupy-central%E2%80%9D-threat-opposition|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130419095207/http://www.chinadailyapac.com/article/npc-deputies-blast-%E2%80%9Coccupy-central%E2%80%9D-threat-opposition|url-status=dead|archive-date=19 April 2013|title=NPC deputies blast 'Occupy Central' threat by opposition|newspaper=China Daily|date=11 March 2013|access-date=27 March 2013|first=Kahon|last=Chan}}</ref> ] Deputy and Executive Councilor ] urged the opposition camp to show respect for each other through a rational and pragmatic debate over the issue. She added that there was no need to resort to "extreme action" and claimed that it was not too late to begin consultations in 2014.<ref name="27/3/13"/>


====]====
In mid-July, after the civic referendum, the ] (APD) initiated a petition against the occupation from 18 July to 17 August.<ref name=20140721hks/> There were criticisms that no identity checks were carried out and that there were no steps to prevent numerous multiple signatories.<ref name=20140721hks/> According to the ''Wall Street Journal'' and ''South China Morning Post'', employees faced pressure to sign petition forms that were being circulated by department heads in some companies, including ], a major public utility.<ref>{{cite web|author=HKT|url=http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2014/07/28/a-million-sign-hong-kong-petition-as-democracy-fight-ratchets-up/ |title=A Million Sign Hong Kong Petition as Democracy Fight Ratchets Up – China Real Time Report |work=The Wall Street Journal |date=28 July 2014 |accessdate=19 August 2014}}</ref><ref> ''South China Morning Post''</ref> The APD claimed in excess of a million signatures were obtained.<ref name=20140818wsj/> The organisers said they obtained signatures from many supporters including children, secondary school and university students, the elderly, office staff, celebrities and ].<ref name=20140721hks>{{cite web|url=http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=30&art_id=147555&sid=42656332&con_type=1&d_str=20140721&isSearch=1&sear_year=2014 |title=Shocking turnout of anti-Occupy backers |work=The Standard |accessdate=19 August 2014}}</ref> Official endorsements include chief executive CY Leung and other top Hong Kong officials.<ref name=20140818wsj>Ngai, Edward (18 August 2014) . ''The Wall Street Journal''.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://english.cri.cn/12394/2014/08/16/2941s840579.htm |title=Hong Kong Chief Executive Signs Anti-Occupy Campaign |publisher=English.cri.cn |date=15 August 2014 |accessdate=19 August 2014}}</ref> The APD organised a "march for peace" on 17 August intended to undermine the Occupy movement.<ref name=20140818wsj/> It was attended by tens of thousands of marchers. There were widespread claims that organisations had paid people to attend the rally or had given other inducements; the media reported pro-establishment organisations (namely the ]) had put on cross-border transport to bring in marchers<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cnbc.com/id/101925513|title=Thousands join anti-Occupy rally in Hong Kong|author=CNBC|work=CNBC|accessdate=28 September 2014}}</ref> and that some 20,000 people may have been bussed in from across the border.<ref name=20140819hks>{{cite web|url=http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?we_cat=17&art_id=148502&sid=42830506&con_type=1&d_str=20140819&fc=2 |title=More street fights' cooling effect |work=The Standard |date=6 January 2009 |accessdate=19 August 2014}}</ref> An editorial in ''The Standard'' noted "it's obvious that Beijing spared no effort in maximizing the turnout... Beijing has demonstrated its ability to swiftly mobilize the masses over a relatively short period".<ref name=20140819hks/>
In mid-July 2014, after the civic referendum, the APD, under its spokesman ], initiated a petition against the occupation, with signatures to be gathered from 18 July to 17 August.<ref name=20140721hks/> There were criticisms that no identity checks were carried out and that there were no steps to prevent repeat signings.<ref name=20140721hks/> According to the ''Wall Street Journal'' and ''South China Morning Post'', employees of corporations such as the major utility ] faced pressure to sign petition forms that were being circulated by their department heads.<ref>{{cite web|author=HKT|url=https://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2014/07/28/a-million-sign-hong-kong-petition-as-democracy-fight-ratchets-up/ |title=A Million Sign Hong Kong Petition as Democracy Fight Ratchets Up – China Real Time Report |work=The Wall Street Journal |date=28 July 2014 |access-date=19 August 2014}}</ref><ref> ''South China Morning Post''</ref> The APD claimed in excess of a million signatures were obtained.<ref name=20140818wsj/> The organisers said they obtained signatures from many supporters including children, secondary school and university students, the elderly, office staff, celebrities and ].<ref name=20140721hks>{{cite web |url=http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=30&art_id=147555&sid=42656332&con_type=1&d_str=20140721&isSearch=1&sear_year=2014 |title=Shocking turnout of anti-Occupy backers |work=The Standard |access-date=19 August 2014 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819085030/http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=30&art_id=147555&sid=42656332&con_type=1&d_str=20140721&isSearch=1&sear_year=2014 |archive-date=19 August 2014}}</ref> Official endorsements were received from Chief Executive CY Leung and other top Hong Kong officials.<ref name=20140818wsj>Ngai, Edward (18 August 2014) . ''The Wall Street Journal''.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://english.cri.cn/12394/2014/08/16/2941s840579.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819102721/http://english.cri.cn/12394/2014/08/16/2941s840579.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=19 August 2014 |title=Hong Kong Chief Executive Signs Anti-Occupy Campaign |publisher=English.cri.cn |date=15 August 2014 |access-date=19 August 2014}}</ref> The APD organised a "march for peace" on 17 August intended to undermine the Occupy movement.<ref name=20140818wsj/> It was attended by tens of thousands of marchers including those bused in from mainland China by pro-establishment organisations including the ]. There were widespread claims that organisations had paid people to attend the rally or had given other inducements.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2014/08/17/thousands-join-anti-occupy-rally-in-hong-kong.html|title=Thousands join anti-Occupy rally in Hong Kong|author=CNBC|work=CNBC|date=17 August 2014|access-date=28 September 2014}}</ref> and that busing had swelled numbers by some 20,000.<ref name=20140819hks>{{cite web |url=http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?we_cat=17&art_id=148502&sid=42830506&con_type=1&d_str=20140819&fc=2 |title=More street fights' cooling effect |work=The Standard |date=6 January 2009 |access-date=19 August 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006150214/http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?we_cat=17&art_id=148502&sid=42830506&con_type=1&d_str=20140819&fc=2 |archive-date=6 October 2014}}</ref> An editorial in ''The Standard'' noted "it's obvious that Beijing spared no effort in maximizing the turnout... Beijing has demonstrated its ability to swiftly mobilize the masses over a relatively short period".<ref name=20140819hks/>


===Business and professional groups=== ===Business and professional groups===
Eight major local business groups signed a statement condemning the Occupy Central movement and its founders meeting with ] activists in October 2013. Signatories included ], ], ], ] and ]. The ] quickly followed.<ref>{{cite news|title=International business mulling Occupy Central censure|date=16 May 2014|url=http://www.harbourtimes.com/openpublish/article/international-business-mulling-occupy-central-censure|newspaper=Harbour Times}}</ref> A meeting held in October 2013 between members of the Occupy Central movement and ] activists was met with condemnation by eight major local business groups. A statement to that effect was signed by the ], the ], the ], the ] and the ], among others.<ref>{{cite news|title=International business mulling Occupy Central censure|date=16 May 2014|url=http://harbourtimes.com/openpublish/article/international-business-mulling-occupy-central-censure|newspaper=Harbour Times|url-status=bot: unknown|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714133444/http://harbourtimes.com/openpublish/article/international-business-mulling-occupy-central-censure|archive-date=14 July 2014}}</ref>

In June 2014, Executives and brokers including tycoons ] and ], and also the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce and the Hong Kong Bahrain Business Association, the Canadian, Indian and Italian chambers of commerce in Hong Kong together published an advertisement on newspapers that said the demonstrations may "cripple" businesses.<ref>{{cite news|title=Hong Kong Democracy Protest Plan Worries Foreign Businesses|first=Fox|last=Hu|date=11 June 2014|url=http://www.businessweek.com/news/2014-06-10/hong-kong-democracy-protest-plan-draws-ire-of-foreign-businesses|work=Bloomberg News}}</ref>

In late June 2014, Hong Kong's ] issued a statement condemning the Occupy Central movement arguing that the blockade could have an "adverse and far-reaching impact" on the local legal system, social order and economic development. Employees of the firms who called themselves a "group of Big Four employees who love Hong Kong" took out an advertisement saying their employers' statement "does not represent our stance."<ref>{{cite news|title=Employees from 'Big Four' accounting firms disown anti-Occupy Central ad|first=Stuart|last=Lau|date=30 June 2014|newspaper=South China Morning Post}}</ref>


In June 2014, Executives and brokers including tycoons ] and ], and also the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce and the Hong Kong Bahrain Business Association, the Canadian, Indian and Italian chambers of commerce in Hong Kong together published an advertisement on newspapers that said the demonstrations may "cripple commerce in the city's central business district". The statement was directed at the "organisers of Occupy Central".<ref>{{cite news|title=Business chambers condemn Occupy Central in newspaper ads|first=Cheung|last=Gary|date=11 June 2014|url=http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1529895/business-chambers-condemn-occupy-central-newspaper-ads|newspaper=South China Morning Post|access-date=9 October 2017}}</ref>
On 29 September 2014, ] released a press statement, strongly denouncing “the excessive and disproportionate use of force by the Hong Kong Police” <ref name="hkba.org">Hong Kong Bar Association, , ''Hong Kong Bar Association Press Release'', 29 September 2014</ref> and the misjudgement of Police’s escalated use of force antagonised and frustrated public feelings.


In late June 2014, Hong Kong's ] issued a statement condemning the Occupy Central movement arguing that the blockade could have an "adverse and far-reaching impact" on the local legal system, social order and economic development. Employees of the firms who called themselves a "group of Big Four employees who love Hong Kong" took out an advertisement saying their employers' statement did not represent their stance.<ref>{{cite news|title=Employees from 'Big Four' accounting firms disown anti-Occupy Central ad|first=Stuart|last=Lau|date=30 June 2014|newspaper=South China Morning Post}}</ref>
Declaring that despite the disagreement over political views and allegedly criminal offences, the “repeated, systematic, indiscriminate and excessive use of CS gas” <ref name="hkba.org"/> on the unarmed, peaceful and well-conducted demonstrators can not be justified even in names of maintaining public order or prevention of public disorder, such use of force does not abide by law .


===Others=== ===Others===
Cardinal ], the Roman Catholic leader in Hong Kong, gave his conditional support to the campaign, stating that it must have well-defined goals and deadlines.<ref>{{cite news|title=陳日君有條件支持「佔領中環」|url=http://news.sina.com.hk/news/20130316/-2-2919865/1.html|access-date=18 March 2013|newspaper=Ming Pao|date=16 March 2013|url-status=bot: unknown|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130329002854/http://news.sina.com.hk/news/20130316/-2-2919865/1.html|archive-date=29 March 2013}}</ref> The incumbent bishop Cardinal ] expressed that he did not encourage followers to join the movement, suggesting that both parties should debate universal suffrage through dialogue.<ref>{{cite news|title=湯漢不鼓勵信眾「佔領中環」|url=http://www.singtao.com/breakingnews/20130323a132502.asp|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130630082038/http://www.singtao.com/breakingnews/20130323a132502.asp|url-status=dead|archive-date=30 June 2013|newspaper=]|date=23 March 2013|access-date=9 April 2013}}</ref>
Leo F. Goodstadt, who served as adviser to ], the last British-appointed ], and chief adviser for the ] of the colonial government, said that it would be normal for protesters to "paralyze Central" because "it is part of their right to protest" and Hong Kong residents already possessed the right to criticise the government through protests since the colonial era. In response to concerns that the Occupy Central campaign would hurt Hong Kong's status as an international financial center, Goodstadt cited the frequent mass protests in New York and London, two leading international financial centres, as having a minimal effect on the business environment there.<ref>{{cite news|title=Goodstadt in HK to support 'Occupy Central', signaling interference|url=http://www.chinadailyapac.com/article/goodstadt-hk-support-occupy-central-signaling-interference|last=Lai|first=Chi-chun|accessdate=27 March 2013|date=22 March 2013|newspaper=China Daily}}</ref>


Reverend Ng Chung-man of the Protestant ] publicly denounced the Occupy Central plan in his church's newsletter. Ng wrote that while "some Christians are advocating...occupying Central to force the governments to give in to their demands...civil disobedience is acceptable biblically only...when people's rights to religion and to live are under threat". He exhorted believers to pray for those in authority, in an act of "active subordination" to "relatively just governments".<ref>{{cite news|title=Church leaders divided over 'Occupy Central' plan|url=http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1218649/church-leaders-divided-over-occupy-central-plan|newspaper=South China Morning Post|date=20 April 2013|access-date=25 April 2013}}</ref>
Cardinal ] has given his conditional support to the campaign, but stated that he would not participate in the movement for an indefinite period.<ref>{{cite news|title=陳日君有條件支持「佔領中環」|url=http://news.sina.com.hk/news/20130316/-2-2919865/1.html|accessdate=18 March 2013|newspaper=Ming Pao|date=16 March 2013}}</ref> The incumbent bishop Cardinal ] expressed that he did not encourage followers to join the movement, suggesting that both parties should debate universal suffrage through dialogue.<ref>{{cite news|title=湯漢不鼓勵信眾「佔領中環」|url=http://www.singtao.com/breakingnews/20130323a132502.asp|newspaper=] |date=23 March 2013|accessdate=9 April 2013}}</ref>


==OCLP occupies==
Reverend Ng Chung-man of the ] publicly denounced the Occupy Central plan in his church's newsletter. Ng wrote that while "some Christians are advocating...occupying Central to force the governments to give in to their demands...civil disobedience is acceptable biblically only...when people's rights to religion and to live are under threat". He exhorted believers to pray for those in authority, in an act of "active subordination" to "relatively just governments".<ref>{{cite news|title=Church leaders divided over 'Occupy Central' plan|url=http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1218649/church-leaders-divided-over-occupy-central-plan|newspaper=South China Morning Post|date=20 April 2013|accessdate=25 April 2013}}</ref>
{{main|Umbrella Movement}}

On 27 September, Human rights watchdog ] swiftly responded to the use of pepper spray in dispersing the peaceful demonstrators on the night before, declaring Hong Kong Police's immediate resolve to use violence and riot police dispersing the crowds violated Hong Kong citizens’ freedom of speech and freedom of assembly of demonstration as constituted in Article 27 of ], which bound by ].<ref>Amnesty International, , ''Amnesty International'', 27 September 2014</ref> Amnesty International urged the authorities to fulfil their obligation abide by International and domestic law, to release people who had been detained solely on exercising their human rights, and to ensure a peaceful environment for demonstrators.

==Official launch==
{{main|2014 Hong Kong protests}}
] ]
] (4th from right), surrender to police (3 December 2014)]]
On 28 September 2014 at 1.40am Hong Kong time, Benny Tai announced the official start of the Occupy Central with Love and Peace civil disobedience campaign on the stage of the student protests outside Hong Kong's ].<ref name=BBC>{{cite news|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-29397738|publisher=BBC News|title=Thousands at Hong Kong protest as Occupy Central is launched|date=27 September 2014|accessdate=28 September 2014}}</ref>
On 26 September 2014, after the ], students led by members of the ] (HKFS) and ] occupied Civic Square, triggering a crowd to protest in support outside the ] in Admiralty. On 28 September 2014, at 1.40{{nbsp}}am, Benny Tai announced the official start of the Occupy Central with Love and Peace civil disobedience campaign on the stage of the student protests. He proposed that the areas around the government headquarters be the occupation site in place of Central proper.<ref name=BBC>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-29397738|publisher=BBC News|title=Thousands at Hong Kong protest as Occupy Central is launched|date=27 September 2014|access-date=28 September 2014}}</ref>


On Sunday night, 28 September 2014, the scenes in Central and Admiralty became more dramatic, as the police employed tear gas, pepper spray, and batons in their attempts to disperse the protesters. The use of tear gas was a significant move in Hong Kong, as it had not been used in the SAR ].<ref name="handsup">{{cite news|last1=Ramsey|first1=Nick|title=Hong Kong protesters mimic Ferguson’s ‘hands up, don’t shoot’|url=http://www.msnbc.com/the-last-word/riot-police-tear-gas-pro-democracy-demonstrators-hong-kong|accessdate=29 September 2014|work=MSNBC|date=28 September 2014}}</ref> The excessive use of violence in dispersion of demonstrators by Hong Kong Police antagonised and frustrated general public feelings. This did not deter the crowds, as thousands more began to occupy other major thoroughfares of Hong Kong including ], ].<ref>The Guardian ,Tania Branigan</ref> On Monday, the government withdrew the riot police and there were massive traffic disruptions as buses and vehicles were diverted.<ref>{{cite news|title=After night of tear gas, Hong Kong protesters dig in|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2014/09/29/world/asia/china-hong-kong-protests/index.html?hpt=hp_t1|accessdate=29 September 2014|work=CNN|date=29 September 2014}}</ref> On Sunday night, 28 September 2014, the scenes in Central and Admiralty became more dramatic, as the police employed tear gas, pepper spray, and batons in their attempts to disperse the protesters. The use of tear gas was a significant move in Hong Kong, as it had not been used in the SAR since 2005 and, on that occasion, in the highly exceptional situation of quelling violent Korean farmers bent on disrupting a ].<ref name="SCMP20140929">{{cite web|url=http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1603350/police-fire-tear-gas-and-baton-charge-thousands-occupy-central |url-access=subscription |title=Police fire tear gas and baton charge thousands of Occupy Central protesters|work=South China Morning Post|date=28 September 2014|access-date=29 September 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140929110238/http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1603350/police-fire-tear-gas-and-baton-charge-thousands-occupy-central |archive-date=29 September 2014 }}</ref> The excessive use of force by Hong Kong Police in dispersing Hongkongers antagonised and frustrated the general public and did not deter the protesters; rather, it gave impetus to thousands more to begin occupation of other major thoroughfares of Hong Kong, namely, at ] and ].<ref>The Guardian , Tania Branigan</ref> On Monday, the government withdrew the riot police, leaving the three regions occupied by protesters, and there were massive traffic disruptions as all traffic had to be diverted.<ref>{{cite news|title=After night of tear gas, Hong Kong protesters dig in|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2014/09/29/world/asia/china-hong-kong-protests/index.html?hpt=hp_t1|access-date=29 September 2014|work=CNN|date=29 September 2014}}</ref>


==OCLP bows out==
The protests were initially organised and promoted by Occupy Central with Love and Peace, HKFS and Scholarism, but the unprecedented scale of demonstrators and multiple congregation locations soon changed the Occupy Central movement into a non-centralised, self-managed horizontal structure.
The scale and scope of the three main occupations was unprecedented, involving many pressure groups as well as many citizens not associated with any group at all. What had been formulated by the OCLP organisers was now much bigger than OCLP and completely beyond their or any single group's control. Hence, the role of OCLP's volunteers was to provide support, for example, through its legal support team, for what had become a major, yet amorphous, movement.<ref>{{cite news|date=1 December 2018|title=In full: The testimony of protest organiser Chan Kin-man at the trial of the Umbrella Movement 9|last=Kong|first=Tsung-gan|url=https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/12/01/full-transcript-umbrella-movement-convener-chan-kin-mans-testimony-trial-occupy-9/|newspaper=Hong Kong Free Press|access-date=2 December 2018}}</ref>


Moreover, although the movement initially gained broad support from the public, support started to wane around the third week of occupation as people became tired of the inconveniences to daily life.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Chan|first=Johannes|date=2014-11-02|title=Hong Kong's Umbrella Movement|journal=The Round Table|volume=103|issue=6|pages=571–580|doi=10.1080/00358533.2014.985465|hdl=10722/208215|s2cid=153944404|issn=0035-8533|hdl-access=free}}</ref>
==Timeline==
{{See also|2014 Hong Kong electoral reform}}
<!-- Please be concise when updating this timeline. Please add details of ongoing protests to ] instead-->
]
]


As the occupation ended its first month, Chan Kin-man and Benny Tai resumed their teaching duties at their respective universities and OCLP handed over the command of its medic, marshal and supplies teams to the student groups.<ref name="Mingpao20141031"/><ref name="Mingpao20141028">{{cite web|url=http://specials.mingpao.com/cfm/News.cfm?News=84f43439c5680a1a9da4f62b294641921eaef2a9c96006da952c02adade02adad87404|title=陳健民戴耀廷將大學復教 事務隊「交棒」學生 陳:不是退場|work=Ming Pao|date=28 October 2014|access-date=2 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304023824/http://specials.mingpao.com/cfm/News.cfm?News=84f43439c5680a1a9da4f62b294641921eaef2a9c96006da952c02adade02adad87404|archive-date=4 March 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* '''16 January 2013''' – Associate Professor of Law at the University of Hong Kong, Benny Tai Yiu-ting writes an article 公民抗命的最大殺傷力武器 (''Civil disobedience's deadliest weapon'') in ''Hong Kong Economic Journal'' suggesting an occupation of Central.<ref name="16/1/13"/>
* '''24 March 2013''' – Qiao Xiaoyang, chairman of the Law Committee under the ](NPCSC) of PRC, states that chief executive candidates must be persons who "love the country and love Hong Kong" and who do not insist on confronting the central government.<ref name="25/3/13"/>
* '''27 March 2013''' – "Occupy Central with Love and Peace" (OCLP) is formed as organisers of the "Occupy Central" movement, Benny Tai, Reverend Chu Yiu-ming and ]'s Sociology professor Chan Kin-man officially announce at a news conference that they will start promoting the protest in 2014 if the government's proposals for universal suffrage fail to meet international standards.<ref>{{cite news|title='Occupy Central' threatens action|work=]|url=http://rthk.hk/rthk/news/englishnews/20130327/news_20130327_56_911417.htm|date=27 March 2013|accessdate=27 March 2013}}</ref>
* '''9 June 2013''' – First Deliberation Day.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://popcon.hkupop.hku.hk/popcon_v1/index_OCLP.php?lang=en|work=POPCON|title="OCLP Deliberation Series" Feature Page}}</ref>
* '''9 March 2014''' – Second Deliberation Day.
* '''6 May 2014''' – Third Deliberation Day.
<!--* '''4 June 2014''' – The ] draws a 180,000 crowd in light of the massacre's 25th anniversary.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-27702206|title=BBC News - Tiananmen anniversary marked at huge Hong Kong vigil|work=BBC News|accessdate=14 October 2014}}</ref>-->
* '''20 to 29 June 2014''' – Civil referendum. The civil referendum ends with 787,767 valid e-votes, or about 22% of Hong Kong's registered voters.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cnn.com/2014/06/24/world/asia/hong-kong-politics-explainer/index.html |title=Hong Kong's Occupy Central "referendum," explained |publisher=CNN |accessdate=19 August 2014}}</ref>
* '''1 July 2014''' – The ] on the 17th anniversary of the return of Hong Kong to Chinese rule draws 100,000 protesters (500,000 according to organizer). Occupy Central rehearsal results in over 500 arrests.<ref>{{cite web|author=Kelvin Chan |url=http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/hong-kong-braces-for-big-democracy-rally-opposing-chinas-limits-on-vote/article19390361/ |title=Hong Kong braces for big democracy rally opposing China's limits on vote |work=The Globe and Mail |date=30 June 2014 |accessdate=19 August 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-07-01/thousands-to-protest-on-anniversary-of-hong-kong-return-to-china.html|title=H.K. Police Clear Protesters After Decade's Biggest Rally|date=2 July 2014|work=Bloomberg|accessdate=14 October 2014}}</ref>
* '''3 July 2014''' - ] (APD), a group opposing Occupy Central, was established.<ref name="SCMP1">{{cite news|url=http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1553520/hundreds-join-march-against-occupy-central|title=Hundreds join march against Occupy Central|last=Chan|first=Samuel|date=14 July 2014|work=South China Morning Post|accessdate=15 August 2014|location=Hong Kong}}</ref>
* '''18 July to 17 August 2014''' - APD's "Anti-Occupy Central" petition campaign collects over 1,500,000 signatures, although the credibility of the campaign came into question as there were "no measures in place to prevent repeat signatures".<ref>{{cite news|last1=Ng|first1=Joyce|title=Questions raised over credibility of planned anti-Occupy signature campaign|url=http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1551059/questions-raised-about-credibility-planned-anti-occupy-signature?page=all|accessdate=30 September 2014|publisher=South China Morning Post|date=10 July 2014}}</ref>
* '''17 August 2014''' – APD's "Anti-Occupy Central" march is attended by 193,000, according to organisers.<ref name=20140819hks>{{cite web|url=http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?we_cat=17&art_id=148502&sid=42830506&con_type=1&d_str=20140819&fc=2 |title=More street fights' cooling effect |work=The Standard |date=19 August 2014 |accessdate=19 August 2014}}</ref>
* '''31 August 2014''' - NPCSC announces its decision for Hong Kong's electoral systems in 2017. OCLP plans civil disobedience protests.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/01/world/asia/hong-kong-elections.html | title=China Restricts Voting Reforms for Hong Kong | publisher=New York Times | date=31 August 2014 | accessdate=31 August 2014 | author=Buckley, Chris & Forsythe, Michael}}</ref>


On 3 December 2014, the Occupy Central trio, along with 62 others including Democratic Party lawmaker ] and Cardinal ], then Bishop Emeritus of Hong Kong, turned themselves in to the police, admitting taking part in an unauthorised assembly. The police declined to arrest them and no charges were laid at the time.<ref name="SCMP20141204">{{cite news|title=Police let Occupy organisers walk away without charge after they turn themselves in|url=http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1654634/no-regrets-says-occupys-benny-tai-he-prepares-hand-himself-police|access-date=6 December 2014|work=South China Morning Post|date=4 December 2014}}</ref> According to the trio, they did so in order to bear legal responsibility and uphold the rule of law, as well as to affirm their principles of love and peace. OCLP was disbanded by the founders upon surrendering to the police.<ref name=20150120harbour/> They also urged occupiers to leave for their own safety, citing their fear that the government use the police to stamp its authority on them.<ref name="OCLP20141202">{{cite web | url=http://oclp.hk/index.php?route=occupy/eng_detail&eng_id=61 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141221022947/http://oclp.hk/index.php?route=occupy/eng_detail&eng_id=61 | url-status=dead | archive-date=21 December 2014 | title=Occupy Central Trio's Letter to the Hong Kong People | publisher=Occupy Central with Love and Peace | date=2 December 2014 | access-date=6 December 2014 | author1=Tai, Benny Yiu-ting | author2=Chan, Kin-man | author3=Chu, Yiu-ming | name-list-style=amp }}</ref> The OCLP leaders planned to pursue their cause through community work and education.<ref name="OCLP20141202"/>
===2014 Hong Kong protests===

<!-- Please be concise when updating this timeline. Please add details of ongoing protests to ] instead-->
==Timeline==
{{main|2014 Hong Kong protests}}
{{See also|2014 Hong Kong electoral reform|2014 Hong Kong protests}}
* '''22 to 26 September 2014''' - ].
]
* '''27 September 2014''' - Protests outside ].
* 16 January 2013 – Benny Tai Yiu-ting writes an article 公民抗命的最大殺傷力武器 (''Civil disobedience's deadliest weapon'') in ''Hong Kong Economic Journal'' suggesting an occupation of Central.<ref name="16/1/13"/>
* '''28 September 2014'''
* 24 March 2013 – Qiao Xiaoyang's "love the country and love Hong Kong" statement<ref name="25/3/13"/>
** '''Midnight''' - Benny Tai announces that Occupy Central is launched.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://online.wsj.com/articles/occupy-central-launches-hong-kong-protest-campaign-1411848966|title = Occupy Central Launches Hong Kong Protest Campaign|author =
* 27 March 2013 – "Occupy Central with Love and Peace" (OCLP) is formed
Isabella Steger and Prudence Ho|newspaper = The Wall Street Journal|date=27 September 2014}}</ref>
* 9 June 2013 – First Deliberation Day<ref name="POPCON"/>
** '''Evening''' - The police uses ], ] and batons to disperse protesters near ], as protests begin to occupy ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1603350/police-fire-tear-gas-and-baton-charge-thousands-occupy-central|title=Police fire tear gas and baton charge thousands of Occupy Central protesters|newspaper=South China Morning Post|date=28 September 2014}}</ref>
* 9 March 2014 – Second Deliberation Day
** '''Night''' - Thousands of protesters occupy part of ] and part of ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scmp.com/article/1603331/live-tear-gas-fired-protesters-students-demand-cy-leungs-resignation|title=Occupy Central: The First Night|newspaper=South China Morning Post|date=29 September 2014}}</ref>
* 6 May 2014 – Third Deliberation Day
* '''29 September 2014''' - Riot police have retreated from various areas.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/hong-kong-activists-defy-police-tear-gas-as-protests-continue-overnight-2014-9|title=Hong Kong Protesters Aren't Going Anywhere Despite Massive Police Crackdown|date=28 September 2014|work=Business Insider|accessdate=14 October 2014}}</ref>
* 20 to 29 June 2014 – Civil referendum. The civil referendum ends with 787,767 valid e-votes, or about 22% of Hong Kong's registered voters.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cnn.com/2014/06/24/world/asia/hong-kong-politics-explainer/index.html |title=Hong Kong's Occupy Central "referendum," explained |date=25 June 2014 |publisher=CNN |access-date=19 August 2014}}</ref>
* '''28 October 2014''' - Chan Kin-man and Benny Tai return to their teaching duties.<ref name="Mingpao20141031"/>
* 2 July 2014 – Over 500 protesters arrested for unlawful arrest at overnight sit-in after biggest ] for a decade<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-28122434|title=Hong Kong police arrest democracy protesters at sit-in|newspaper=BBC|date=2 July 2014}}</ref>
* 31 August 2014 – NPCSC announces its ] for Hong Kong's electoral systems in 2017. OCLP plans civil disobedience protests.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/01/world/asia/hong-kong-elections.html | title=China Restricts Voting Reforms for Hong Kong | work=The New York Times| date=31 August 2014 | access-date=31 August 2014 |author1=Buckley, Chris |author2=Forsythe, Michael |name-list-style=amp }}</ref>
* 14 September 2014 – "Black Clock" march<ref>{{cite web |title=Pro-Democracy Protesters Stage 'Black Cloth' March in Hong Kong | url=https://www.voanews.com/east-asia/pro-democracy-protesters-stage-black-cloth-march-hong-kong |website=Voice of America |access-date=1 December 2020 |date=14 September 2014}}</ref>
* 22 to 26 September 2014 – ].
* 27 September 2014 – Protests outside ].
* 28 September 2014
** Early hours – Benny Tai announces that Occupy Central is launched.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://online.wsj.com/articles/occupy-central-launches-hong-kong-protest-campaign-1411848966|title = Occupy Central Launches Hong Kong Protest Campaign|author1=Isabella Steger |author2=Prudence Ho |name-list-style=amp |newspaper = The Wall Street Journal|date=27 September 2014}}</ref>
** Dusk – The police use ], ] and batons to disperse protesters near ], as protests begin to occupy ].<ref name="SCMP20140929"/>
** Night – Thousands of protesters occupy part of ] and part of ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scmp.com/article/1603331/live-tear-gas-fired-protesters-students-demand-cy-leungs-resignation|title=Occupy Central: The First Night|newspaper=South China Morning Post|date=29 September 2014}}</ref>
* 29 September 2014 – Riot police have retreated from various areas.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/hong-kong-activists-defy-police-tear-gas-as-protests-continue-overnight-2014-9|title=Hong Kong Protesters Aren't Going Anywhere Despite Massive Police Crackdown|date=28 September 2014|work=Business Insider|access-date=14 October 2014|archive-date=5 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170305042534/http://www.businessinsider.com/hong-kong-activists-defy-police-tear-gas-as-protests-continue-overnight-2014-9|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* 28 October 2014 – Chan Kin-man and Benny Tai returned to their teaching duties.<ref name="Mingpao20141031"/>
* 25 November 2014 – The Mong Kok protest site was cleared by the police after heavy clashes with the protesters.
* 3 December 2014 – The Occupy Trio surrendered to the police without being arrested.<ref name="SCMP20141204"/>
* 8 December 2014 – The court granted an injunction to a bus company to remove the blockades in Admiralty.<ref name="SCMP">{{cite web|url=http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1661311/occupy-central-camp-admiralty-goes-down-quietly-police-move|title=Occupy Central camp in Admiralty goes down quietly as police move in|newspaper=South China Morning Post|date=12 December 2014|access-date=15 December 2014}}</ref>
* 12 December 2014 – The occupied site in Admiralty is cleared without resistance.<ref name="SCMP" />
* 15 December 2014 – The last occupied zone in Causeway Bay was cleared peacefully. Protesters also leave the Legislative Council demonstration area.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1662891/hong-kong-police-set-dismantle-occupys-last-remaining-pro-democracy|title='Occupy is over': Hong Kong chief executive announces end to protests as Causeway Bay is cleared|newspaper=South China Morning Post|date=15 December 2014|access-date=15 December 2014}}</ref> Police announce that 955 people have been arrested throughout the occupation and 75 had turned themselves in.<ref>{{cite web|title=955 arrested for Occupy offences|url=http://www.news.gov.hk/en/categories/law_order/html/2014/12/20141215_160122.shtml|publisher=news.gov.hk|access-date=16 November 2014}}</ref> The occupation ends.


==See also== ==See also==
*] * ]
*] * ]

==Further reading==
{{cite book|last=Kong|first=Tsung-gan (pseudonym of Brian Patrick Kern)|title=Umbrella: a Political Tale from Hong Kong|date=2017|publisher=Pema Press|isbn=9780997238532|place=United States}}


==References== ==References==
{{reflist|30em}} {{reflist}}


==External links== ==External links==
{{Commons category|Occupy Central (2014)}} {{Commons category|Occupy Central (2014)}}
* * {{Official website|http://oclp.hk/}}

*
*
*
*
{{Hong Kong electoral reform}} {{Hong Kong electoral reform}}
{{Umbrella Movement}}


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Latest revision as of 02:00, 11 November 2024

2013–2014 Hong Kong movement for universal suffrage This article is about an advocacy group in Hong Kong. For related protests in Hong Kong also known as the Umbrella Revolution, see 2014 Hong Kong protests. For a part of the international occupy movements, see Occupy Central (2011–2012).

Occupy Central with Love and Peace
讓愛與和平佔領中環
AbbreviationOCLP (和平佔中)
Established27 March 2013
Dissolved3 December 2014
PurposeThe election of the Chief Executive of Hong Kong beginning in 2017 by universal suffrage consistent with accepted international standards.
Location
Key peopleThe Occupy Central trio:
Websiteoclp.hk
Occupy Central with Love and Peace
Traditional Chinese讓愛與和平佔領中環
Simplified Chinese让爱与和平占领中环
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinRàng Ài Yǔ Hépíng Zhànglīng Zhōnghuán
Hakka
RomanizationNgiong Oi Yi Fopin Zamliang Zungvan
Yue: Cantonese
Yale RomanizationYeuhng oi yúh wòh pìhng jim líhng jūng wàahn
JyutpingJoeng Oi Jyu Woping Zimling Zungwaan
Alternative Chinese name
Traditional Chinese和平佔中
Simplified Chinese和平占中
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinHépíng Zhàngzhōng
Yue: Cantonese
Yale RomanizationWòh pìhng jim jūng
JyutpingWopingZimzung

Occupy Central with Love and Peace (OCLP) was a single-purpose Hong Kong civil disobedience campaign initiated by Reverend Chu Yiu-ming, Benny Tai and Chan Kin-man on 27 March 2013. The campaign was launched on 24 September 2014, partially leading to the 2014 Hong Kong protests. According to its manifesto, the campaign advocates for an electoral system in Hong Kong that is decided through a democratic process and satisfies international standards of universal and equal suffrage. With the first three stages of the movement – dialogue, deliberation and citizens' authorization – the civil disobedience that follows must be non-violent.

The campaign called for occupation of Hong Kong's central business district, Central, if the amendments were not made. Upstaged by the Hong Kong Federation of Students (HKFS) and Scholarism in September 2014, its leaders joined in the Occupy Central protests.

OCLP had originally planned to launch its protest campaign on 1 October 2014, the National Day of the People's Republic of China. OCLP stated that the ongoing protest was "the Umbrella Movement, not 'Occupy Central'" and referred to themselves as supporters rather than organisers. OCLP was disbanded by the founders when they surrendered to the police in December 2014.

Background

Main article: Democratic development in Hong Kong

Election of the Chief Executive of Hong Kong and seats in the Legislative Council by universal suffrage is established in the Hong Kong Basic Law (see Hong Kong Basic Law Article 45).

The chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall be selected by election or through consultations held locally and be appointed by the Central People's Government.

The method for selecting the chief executive shall be specified in the light of the actual situation in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and in accordance with the principle of gradual and orderly progress. The ultimate aim is the selection of the Chief Executive by universal suffrage upon nomination by a broadly representative nominating committee in accordance with democratic procedures.

In December 2007, the National People's Congress Law Committee officially ruled on the issue of universal suffrage in Hong Kong:

that the election of the fifth chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in the year 2017 may be implemented by the method of universal suffrage; that after the chief executive is selected by universal suffrage, the election of the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region may be implemented by the method of electing all the members by universal suffrage...

The Asia Times wrote in 2008 that both proposals for the Legislative Council (LegCo) and for the chief executive were "hedged in with so many ifs and buts that there is no guarantee of Hong Kong getting anything at all... "

After another six years of government inaction, on 16 January 2013, Benny Tai, then an associate professor of law at the University of Hong Kong, published an article in the Hong Kong Economic Journal in which he proposed an act of civil disobedience be carried out in Central, the business and financial centre of Hong Kong if the government failed to announce reforms introducing genuine universal suffrage. He set no specific timetable for such action.

Reflecting increased polarisation, disaffection and frustration with government inaction and Beijing intransigence, on 21 March 2013, all 27 democratically inclined lawmakers of the Legislative Council joined in establishing the Alliance for True Democracy, adopting a more determined and confrontational stance than its recently failed and disbanded compromise-leaning predecessor, the Alliance for Universal Suffrage.

On 24 March 2013, Qiao Xiaoyang, then chairman of the Law Committee under the National People's Congress Standing Committee (NPCSC) startled Hongkongers by announcing that Chief Executive candidates must be persons who love the country and love Hong Kong, and who do not insist on confronting the central government. The statement was taken as setting out new, vague pre-conditions for candidacy as a means of screening out candidates not sympathetic to Beijing's goals in Hong Kong, denying the promise of genuine democracy. OCLP was convened three days later.

Formation

Authors of the campaign (L-R) Chu, Tai and Chan (27 March 2013)

On 16 January 2013, an article by Benny Tai Yiu-ting was published in the Hong Kong Economic Journal, entitled 公民抗命的最大殺傷力武器 (Civil Disobedience's Deadliest Weapon). Tai postulated a seven-step progression: 10,000 participants signing a declaration (taking a vow and pledge of willingness to occupy the streets), live TV broadcast of discussions, electronic voting on methods for universal suffrage, a referendum on the preferred formula, resignation of Super-Seat Legislative Council member (then former Democratic Party Chairman Albert Ho Chun-yan) to be filled in a by-election to be seen as a referendum on the plan, civil disobedience, and, finally, Occupy Central in July 2014. Tai repeated his plan at a forum held on 24 February 2013, emphasising the importance of the non-violence pledge.

In an interview together with Ho on 6 March 2013, Tai spoke at length about his referendum and protest strategies to bring about universal suffrage in Hong Kong and stated: "This is a people's movement; frankly speaking, the central government will have to accept or reject it; if they reject it, we will block the streets."

OCLP was launched at a press conference hosted by its three founders, Reverend Chu Yiu-ming, Benny Tai Yiu-ting, and Chan Kin-man, on 27 March 2013 at which they presented its manifesto.

Objectives

Hong Kong protest banner

OCLP's manifesto stated that it would campaign for universal suffrage through dialogue, deliberation, civil referendum and civil disobedience (Occupy Central); it also demanded that any government proposal should satisfy international standards in relation to universal suffrage, i.e. equal number of votes, equal weight for each vote and no unreasonable restrictions on the right to stand for election, and that the final proposal for electoral reform be decided by means of a genuine democratic process. The founders emphasised their objective of non-violent civil disobedience but, as their campaign had no leaders nor membership, what acts members of the public adopted was a matter for them to decide as individuals.

Democratic Party support

On 5 February 2014, the Democratic Party staged a public oath-taking, at Statue Square, with members swearing to join in Occupy Central irrespective of the risk of arrest and imprisonment. Members of People Power, disparaging of the Democratic Party's failure to demand direct civil nomination of Chief Executive candidates in its platform, disrupted the ceremony.

Deliberations on reform

See also: 2014 Hong Kong electoral reform

Deliberation days were organised by OCLP on 9 June 2013, 9 March 2014, and 6 May 2014, at which attendees were invited to exchange views on strategies to be adopted to achieve democratic reform.

On the third deliberation day, the Occupy Central participants voted on electoral reform proposals put forward by various pro-democracy groups, with the objective of determining which should be put to a plebiscite. Five proposals were put to the attendees and the three most popular selected. The proposal by student groups Scholarism and Hong Kong Federation of Students which allowed for public nomination, received 1,124 votes – 45 percent of the vote. People Power's proposal came in second with 685 votes, while the three-track proposal by the Alliance for True Democracy consisting of 27 pan-democracy lawmakers got 445 votes. The civil recommendation method proposed by 18 academics got 74 votes and Hong Kong 2020's proposal came in last with 43 votes. A total of 2,508 votes were cast in the poll.

All three selected proposals included the concept of civil nomination, which the mainland authorities had already flatly rejected as not compliant with the Basic Law. The three chosen proposals were thus considered to be the more radical, leaving moderate pan-democrats in the cold, laying the ground for friction and division among democrats. The League of Social Democrats and People Power lawmakers, notwithstanding their common membership in the Alliance for True Democracy, had urged their supporters to vote against the Alliance. Snubbed Civic Party lawmaker Ronny Tong Ka-wah, who had seen his moderate plan soundly marginalised in the poll believed "the Occupy Central movement has been hijacked by radicals". He believed that the poll results would make it harder to find a reform package agreeable to Beijing. He thought Occupy Central's plan to block streets in Central was likely to materialise.

Civic referendum

Civil Referendum
20 – 29 June 2014 (2014-06-29)

Voting systemMajority voting
For CE Election 2017, I support OCLP to submit this proposal to the Government:
Alliance for True Democracy proposal 42.1%
Students proposal 38.4%
People Power proposal 10.4%
Abstention 8.9%
If the government proposal cannot satisfy international standards allowing genuine choices by electors, LegCo should veto it, my stance is:
LegCo should veto 87.8%
LegCo should not veto 7.5%
Abstention 4%

OCLP commissioned the University of Hong Kong Public Opinion Programme (HKUPOP) to run a poll on three proposals – all of which involved allowing citizens to directly nominate candidates – for presentation to the Beijing government. It ran from 20 to 29 June 2014. A total of 792,808 people, equivalent to over one fifth of the registered electorate, took part in the poll by either voting online or going to designated polling stations.

The proposal tabled by the Alliance for True Democracy, a group comprising 26 of the 27 pan-democratic lawmakers, won the unofficial referendum by securing 331,427 votes, or 42.1 per cent of the 787,767 valid ballots. A joint blueprint put forward by Scholarism and the Hong Kong Federation of Students came second with 302,567 votes (38.4 per cent), followed by the People Power proposal, which garnered 81,588 votes (10.4 per cent). All three called for the public to be allowed to nominate candidates for the 2017 Chief Executive election, an idea repeatedly dismissed by Beijing as inconsistent with the Basic Law. The Alliance's provided for nomination by the election committee and by political parties, as well. The plan was not specific on method of formation of the nominating committee, only stating that it should be "as democratic as it can be". The two other proposals were for nomination by the public and nominating committee only. 691,972 voters (87.8 per cent) agreed that the Legislative Council should veto any reform proposal put forward by the government if it failed to meet international standards, compared with 7.5 per cent who disagreed.

The unofficial referendum infuriated Beijing. Mainland officials and newspapers called it "illegal" while many condemned Occupy Central, claiming it was operating at the behest of foreign "anti-China forces" and would damage Hong Kong's standing as a financial capital. Zhang Junsheng, a former deputy director of Xinhua News Agency in Hong Kong, denounced the poll as "meaningless". The state-run Global Times mocked the referendum as an "illegal farce" and a "joke". The region's chief executive, Leung Chun-ying, offered this rebuke: "Nobody should place Hong Kong people in confrontation with mainland Chinese citizens." Mainland censors meanwhile scrubbed social media sites clean of references to Occupy Central. The poll also prompted a flurry of vitriolic editorials, preparatory police exercises and sophisticated cyber-attacks where strategies evolved over time. According to CloudFlare, a firm that helped defend against a "unique and sophisticated" attack, the volume of traffic was an unprecedented 500 Gbit/s and involved at least five botnets. OCLP's servers were bombarded with in excess of 250 million DNS requests per second, equivalent to the average volume of legitimate DNS requests for the entire Internet.

Before the referendum, the State Council issued a white paper claiming "comprehensive jurisdiction" over the territory. "The high degree of autonomy of the HKSAR is not full autonomy, nor a decentralised power," it said. "It is the power to run local affairs as authorised by the central leadership." Michael DeGolyer, director of the transition project at Hong Kong Baptist University, said: "It's very clear from surveys that the vast majority of the people voting in this referendum are doing it as a reaction to this white paper – particularly because they see it as threatening the rule of law ... That's not negotiating on the one country two systems principle, that's demolishing it."

Criminal liability for OCLP protesters

The OCLP has pointed out the participants in Occupy Central could be guilty of "obstructing, inconveniencing or endangering a person or vehicle in a public place" under the Summary Offenses Ordinance. However, under the Public Order Ordinance, Occupy Central was considered as unlawful assembly, i.e., "when three or more people assemble... to cause any person reasonably to fear that the persons so assembled will commit a breach of the peace or will by such conduct provoke other persons to commit a breach of the peace, they are an unlawful assembly." The Hong Kong Secretary for Security Lai Tung-kwok stated that the government will "take robust action to uphold the rule of law and maintain safety and order."

OCLP also published a "manual of disobedience" to inform protesters what to do in the event of being detained.

Reactions to formation and objective

SAR government

On 21 March 2013, in an apparent response to reports of Tai's statements early that month and the formation that day of the Alliance for True Democracy, Commissioner of Police Andy Tsang Wai-hung said that any attempt to block major thoroughfares in Central would not be tolerated and warned people to think twice about joining the Occupy Central protest.

In June 2014, with pressure building in view of the original plan for July 2014 occupy action, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying warned that the Occupy Central movement was bound to be neither peaceful nor legal and that actions will be taken to maintain law and order and Secretary for Security Lai Tung-kwok warned that radical elements of Occupy Central may cause serious disturbances like the violent incident at the Legislative Council during the meeting for funding the northeast New Territories new town. Lai reminded the participants to consider their own personal safety and legal liability.

PRC government

Officials' response

On 24 March 2013, Wang Guangya, director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, when asked if he believed the Occupy Central plan would be beneficial to the city, said "I think Hong Kong compatriots don't want to see Hong Kong being messed up. Hong Kong needs development." At the same time, Qiao Xiaoyang, chairman of the National People's Congress Law Committee, was quoted as accusing the "opposition camp" of "fuelling" the Occupy Central plan. Qiao said the plan was only "partly truthful", "complex" and a "risk-everything" proposition.

Censorship

The Occupy Central campaign was censored from mainland China news media and replaced by reports of government supporters gathering near the Tamar government headquarters to endorse the central government's plan. Users of the mainland-controlled messaging application WeChat observed that Occupy Central content sent by them was filtered out of their messages as viewed by their addressees. Social media such as Weibo came under never-before-seen levels of censorship. Usually accessible Instagram was blocked entirely.

Pro-democracy camp

In February 2013, Civic Party lawmaker Kwok Ka-ki said he saw the ideas as "the last resort" to pressure Beijing and the SAR administration to introduce universal suffrage. "If Beijing breaks its promise of universal suffrage," he added, "we will have no option but to launch such a civil disobedience movement."

Albert Ho Chun-yan of the Democratic Party undertook to resign his legislator post to enforce a de facto referendum on universal suffrage just as the pan-democrats had done by triggering the by-election in 2010.

Not all democrats' reactions were supportive. Wong Yeung-tat, of Civic Passion, for example, was strongly opposed to the movement.

Pro-Beijing camp

Cheung Kwok-kwan, vice-chairman of the pro-Beijing Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, questioned whether Hong Kong could "afford the negative impact of people staging a rally to occupy and even paralyze Central for a universal suffrage model". He noted that it was "a mainstream idea" in the SAR not to resort to radical means to fight for democracy. Rita Fan Hsu Lai-tai, a National People's Congress Standing Committee member, feared the occupation would adversely affect Hong Kong's image. National People's Congress Deputy and Executive Councilor Fanny Law Fan Chiu-fan urged the opposition camp to show respect for each other through a rational and pragmatic debate over the issue. She added that there was no need to resort to "extreme action" and claimed that it was not too late to begin consultations in 2014.

Alliance for Peace and Democracy (APD)

In mid-July 2014, after the civic referendum, the APD, under its spokesman Robert Chow, initiated a petition against the occupation, with signatures to be gathered from 18 July to 17 August. There were criticisms that no identity checks were carried out and that there were no steps to prevent repeat signings. According to the Wall Street Journal and South China Morning Post, employees of corporations such as the major utility Towngas faced pressure to sign petition forms that were being circulated by their department heads. The APD claimed in excess of a million signatures were obtained. The organisers said they obtained signatures from many supporters including children, secondary school and university students, the elderly, office staff, celebrities and maids. Official endorsements were received from Chief Executive CY Leung and other top Hong Kong officials. The APD organised a "march for peace" on 17 August intended to undermine the Occupy movement. It was attended by tens of thousands of marchers including those bused in from mainland China by pro-establishment organisations including the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions. There were widespread claims that organisations had paid people to attend the rally or had given other inducements. and that busing had swelled numbers by some 20,000. An editorial in The Standard noted "it's obvious that Beijing spared no effort in maximizing the turnout... Beijing has demonstrated its ability to swiftly mobilize the masses over a relatively short period".

Business and professional groups

A meeting held in October 2013 between members of the Occupy Central movement and Taiwanese independence activists was met with condemnation by eight major local business groups. A statement to that effect was signed by the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce, the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce, the Federation of Hong Kong Industries, the Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong and the Real Estate Developers Association of Hong Kong, among others.

In June 2014, Executives and brokers including tycoons Li Ka-shing and Peter Woo, and also the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce and the Hong Kong Bahrain Business Association, the Canadian, Indian and Italian chambers of commerce in Hong Kong together published an advertisement on newspapers that said the demonstrations may "cripple commerce in the city's central business district". The statement was directed at the "organisers of Occupy Central".

In late June 2014, Hong Kong's four biggest accounting firms issued a statement condemning the Occupy Central movement arguing that the blockade could have an "adverse and far-reaching impact" on the local legal system, social order and economic development. Employees of the firms who called themselves a "group of Big Four employees who love Hong Kong" took out an advertisement saying their employers' statement did not represent their stance.

Others

Cardinal Joseph Zen, the Roman Catholic leader in Hong Kong, gave his conditional support to the campaign, stating that it must have well-defined goals and deadlines. The incumbent bishop Cardinal John Tong Hon expressed that he did not encourage followers to join the movement, suggesting that both parties should debate universal suffrage through dialogue.

Reverend Ng Chung-man of the Protestant Evangelical Free Church of China publicly denounced the Occupy Central plan in his church's newsletter. Ng wrote that while "some Christians are advocating...occupying Central to force the governments to give in to their demands...civil disobedience is acceptable biblically only...when people's rights to religion and to live are under threat". He exhorted believers to pray for those in authority, in an act of "active subordination" to "relatively just governments".

OCLP occupies

Main article: Umbrella Movement
Protesters sit in Causeway Bay near midnight on 28 September
The trio and protesters, including former Roman Catholic Cardinal Joseph Zen (4th from right), surrender to police (3 December 2014)

On 26 September 2014, after the class boycott campaign, students led by members of the Hong Kong Federation of Students (HKFS) and Scholarism occupied Civic Square, triggering a crowd to protest in support outside the Central Government Offices in Admiralty. On 28 September 2014, at 1.40 am, Benny Tai announced the official start of the Occupy Central with Love and Peace civil disobedience campaign on the stage of the student protests. He proposed that the areas around the government headquarters be the occupation site in place of Central proper.

On Sunday night, 28 September 2014, the scenes in Central and Admiralty became more dramatic, as the police employed tear gas, pepper spray, and batons in their attempts to disperse the protesters. The use of tear gas was a significant move in Hong Kong, as it had not been used in the SAR since 2005 and, on that occasion, in the highly exceptional situation of quelling violent Korean farmers bent on disrupting a WTO conference. The excessive use of force by Hong Kong Police in dispersing Hongkongers antagonised and frustrated the general public and did not deter the protesters; rather, it gave impetus to thousands more to begin occupation of other major thoroughfares of Hong Kong, namely, at Mong Kok and Causeway Bay. On Monday, the government withdrew the riot police, leaving the three regions occupied by protesters, and there were massive traffic disruptions as all traffic had to be diverted.

OCLP bows out

The scale and scope of the three main occupations was unprecedented, involving many pressure groups as well as many citizens not associated with any group at all. What had been formulated by the OCLP organisers was now much bigger than OCLP and completely beyond their or any single group's control. Hence, the role of OCLP's volunteers was to provide support, for example, through its legal support team, for what had become a major, yet amorphous, movement.

Moreover, although the movement initially gained broad support from the public, support started to wane around the third week of occupation as people became tired of the inconveniences to daily life.

As the occupation ended its first month, Chan Kin-man and Benny Tai resumed their teaching duties at their respective universities and OCLP handed over the command of its medic, marshal and supplies teams to the student groups.

On 3 December 2014, the Occupy Central trio, along with 62 others including Democratic Party lawmaker Wu Chi-wai and Cardinal Joseph Zen, then Bishop Emeritus of Hong Kong, turned themselves in to the police, admitting taking part in an unauthorised assembly. The police declined to arrest them and no charges were laid at the time. According to the trio, they did so in order to bear legal responsibility and uphold the rule of law, as well as to affirm their principles of love and peace. OCLP was disbanded by the founders upon surrendering to the police. They also urged occupiers to leave for their own safety, citing their fear that the government use the police to stamp its authority on them. The OCLP leaders planned to pursue their cause through community work and education.

Timeline

See also: 2014 Hong Kong electoral reform and 2014 Hong Kong protests
Chan, Tai & Chu lead first OCLP-linked march (Black Banner protest), 14 September 2014
  • 16 January 2013 – Benny Tai Yiu-ting writes an article 公民抗命的最大殺傷力武器 (Civil disobedience's deadliest weapon) in Hong Kong Economic Journal suggesting an occupation of Central.
  • 24 March 2013 – Qiao Xiaoyang's "love the country and love Hong Kong" statement
  • 27 March 2013 – "Occupy Central with Love and Peace" (OCLP) is formed
  • 9 June 2013 – First Deliberation Day
  • 9 March 2014 – Second Deliberation Day
  • 6 May 2014 – Third Deliberation Day
  • 20 to 29 June 2014 – Civil referendum. The civil referendum ends with 787,767 valid e-votes, or about 22% of Hong Kong's registered voters.
  • 2 July 2014 – Over 500 protesters arrested for unlawful arrest at overnight sit-in after biggest 1 July march for a decade
  • 31 August 2014 – NPCSC announces its decision for Hong Kong's electoral systems in 2017. OCLP plans civil disobedience protests.
  • 14 September 2014 – "Black Clock" march
  • 22 to 26 September 2014 – Students' strike.
  • 27 September 2014 – Protests outside Central Government Complex.
  • 28 September 2014
  • 29 September 2014 – Riot police have retreated from various areas.
  • 28 October 2014 – Chan Kin-man and Benny Tai returned to their teaching duties.
  • 25 November 2014 – The Mong Kok protest site was cleared by the police after heavy clashes with the protesters.
  • 3 December 2014 – The Occupy Trio surrendered to the police without being arrested.
  • 8 December 2014 – The court granted an injunction to a bus company to remove the blockades in Admiralty.
  • 12 December 2014 – The occupied site in Admiralty is cleared without resistance.
  • 15 December 2014 – The last occupied zone in Causeway Bay was cleared peacefully. Protesters also leave the Legislative Council demonstration area. Police announce that 955 people have been arrested throughout the occupation and 75 had turned themselves in. The occupation ends.

See also

Further reading

Kong, Tsung-gan (pseudonym of Brian Patrick Kern) (2017). Umbrella: a Political Tale from Hong Kong. United States: Pema Press. ISBN 9780997238532.

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