Between 26 September and 15 December 2014 something changed in Hong Kong. In a nutshell, on the 22 September 2014 the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress passed a motion that would allow Hong Konger’s a vote of only three candidates in all future elections. Each candidate would have to have been carefully vetted by Beijing. This threat to Hong Kong’s democracy caused outcry and 1,000s upon 1,000s turned to the street to protest. The protests became known as the umbrella revolution after protesters used umbrellas to protect themselves from the police using teargas.
This was a truly remarkable and inspirational time to be in Hong Kong. There was a tension never before felt in the city. At one point it was rumoured that tanks from Mainland China were being drafted in. While this turned out not to be the case, there was a real feat that this could be a repeat of Tiananmen Square all over again.
I was out everyday during the protests as I worked near admiralty at the time, where the protests were taking place, and managed to take the following photos of protesters coming together in the Umbrella Revolution.
Protesters attach signs to a bridge in support of freedom of democracy,
