Chinese politics

Hong Kong isn’t just a city — it’s the place where China was able to strike a long-awaited blow at the Western powers who subjected China to decades of colonial humiliation. That’s how Beijing still views the city, and that powerful past means compromise on the current protests is all that much harder.

Hong Kong’s “Umbrella Revolution seems to only get bigger as the days go by. At the center of the protests, demonstrators say they’re not planning on leaving any time soon, even as their demands to Beijing remain unclear.

There might have been a lot of coverage of the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, but the story barely made a blip in mainland China. Chinese government officials have tightly controlled reporting from Hong Kong, and even blocked Instagram for the first time.

Days after demonstrations began in the center of Hong Kong, tens of thousands of demonstrators are still in the streets despite the use of tear gas and pepper spray by the police. And, by all appearances, the pro-democracy protesters are settling in for the long haul.

Organizers of pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong have battled police throughout the weekend, saying officers used excessive force — including tear gas, pepper spray and batons — against peaceful demonstrations. But they also say demonstrations will continue.