Hong Kong's democracy protest one year later
A year ago, Hong Kong's famously busy streets were shut down by pro-democracy activists who occupied them for 79 days in what became known as the "Umbrella Movement."
The protests were led by students and other activists who took to the streets to voice their opposition to Beijing's plan to restrict elections for the leader of the semiautonomous Chinese city.
During the protests, huge crowds jammed the streets outside of the government headquarters on Sept. 26, 2014, after police arrested the popular teenage student leader Joshua Wong and others and held them for two days.
Police attempts to scatter the crowds by using tear gas backfired, enraging the protesters and kick-starting their rally, which some called the Umbrella Movement and others dubbed Occupy Central.
The movement fizzled out as the government stuck to a hard line and authorities eventually cleared out all three protest camps.
Traffic and pedestrians reclaimed the three sites, and today there are few visible signs left of Hong Kong's most tumultuous period since its handover from Britain in 1997.
This combination of Sept. 27, 2014 file, top, and Sept. 26, 2015, photos shows a protester holding a placard that reads: "Occupy Central" between anti-riot policemen and protesters outside the government headquarters during the Umbrella Movement in Hong Kong, and the same area almost a year later. A year ago, Hong Kong’s famously busy streets were shut down by pro-democracy activists who occupied them for 79 days in what became known as the "Umbrella Movement." The protests were led by students and other activists who took to the streets to voice their opposition against Beijing's plan to restrict elections for top leader of the semiautonomous Chinese city. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)
This combination of Nov. 25, 2014 file, top, and Sept. 25, 2015 photos shows protesters getting ready to push against policemen in their attempt to occupy the area in Mong Kok district during the Umbrella Movement in Hong Kong, and a man with an umbrella walking past the same area. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)
This combination of Dec. 11, 2014, top, and Sept. 25, 2015 photos shows a general view of a main road as police removing barricades and tents outside government headquarters during the Umbrella Movement in Hong Kong, and the same road almost one year later. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)
This combination of Oct. 3, 2014, top, and Sept. 26, 2015 photos shows pro-democracy student protesters walking near messages left on a wall of the government complex during the Umbrella Movement in Hong Kong, and the same wall after almost one year. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)
This combination of Dec. 1, 2014, top, and Sept. 26, 2015 photos shows police officers detaining a protester during a clash as other protesters attempting to surround the Hong Kong government headquarters during the Umbrella Movement in Hong Kong, and a woman with an umbrella walking through the same area almost one year later. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)
This combination of Oct. 18, 2014, top, and Sept. 26, 2015 photos shows pro-democracy protesters crying as anti-riot police are moving in to disperse them in the Mong Kok district during the Umbrella Movement in Hong Kong, and two women walking at the same site almost one year later. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
This combination of Oct. 20, 2014, top, and Sept. 26, 2015 photos shows protesters resting near a barricade in the occupied area in the Mong Kok district during the Umbrella Movement in Hong Kong, and people cross the same street almost one year later. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
This combination of Oct. 18, 2014, top, and Sept. 26, 2015 photos shows protesters building a barricade to stop anti-riot police officers in the occupied area in the Mong Kok district during the Umbrella Movement in Hong Kong, and a man cycling past the same road almost one year later. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
This combination of Oct. 17, 2014, top, and Sept. 26, 2015 photos shows police officers moving in to arrest protesters who occupied an area in the Mong Kok district during the Umbrella Movement in Hong Kong, and people walking past the same area almost one year later. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
This combination of Oct. 24, 2014, top, and Sept. 26, 2015 photos shows pro-democracy protesters camping on top of an underground train station entrance in an area occupied by protesters in the Mong Kok district during the Umbrella Movement in Hong Kong, and two girls selling flags for charity outside the same station almost one year later. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
This combination of Nov. 21, 2014, top, and Sept. 26, 2015 photos shows a man walking past yellow paper umbrellas hanging above an escalator in an area occupied by protesters outside government headquarters during the Umbrella Movement in Hong Kong, and a man coming down the same escalator almost a year later. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)
Text from the AP news story, AP PHOTOS: Hong Kong Democracy Protest Sites, 1 Year Later.
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