Tens of thousands of people are expected to swell pro-democracy protests in central Hong Kong on National Day, October 1. For days, protesters have been sleeping in the streets, preventing traffic from flowing through the city center. Volunteers have been bringing supplies, including water, food and umbrellas, which have become a symbol of the city’s so-called “Umbrella Revolution.” They were used earlier this week when police shocked protesters by firing tear gas and pepper spray into the crowd.
The student-led unrest was sparked by China’s insistence that it vet candidates for a 2017 election in Hong Kong – even though residents in Hong Kong had been promised that they would be able to freely elect their leaders. The protest marks the biggest demonstration in Hong Kong since it the British handed over the territory to China in 1997.
The sun rises in Hong Kong on National Day, Wednesday 1, as protesters weary from the night before get some sleep. (Photo: Vivian Kam/CNN)
Source: CNN
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