Pro Democracy Demonstrations, Hong Kong: The Revolution of Our Time
On June 9th 2019, an estimated one million people took to the streets of Hong Kong to march in protest to the government’s proposed Extradition Bill, allowing citizens to be extradited to mainland China for prosecution. Since that day, Hong Kong has been plunged into a political crisis, with waves of demonstrations and violent clashes between Police and protestors with an alarming rise in the number of police brutality and misconduct allegations, as protests morphed into a wider call for democratic rights and freedom in the semi-autonomous city.
Hong Kong remains on the edge with the anti-government movement still strong, protestors continue to take to the streets in their millions, continuing their call for Chief Executive Carrie Lam to meet their remaining demands since the withdrawal of controversial extradition bill, which includes an independent inquiry into police brutality, the retraction of the word 'riot' to describe protests, amnesty against prosecution for all those arrested, Carrie Lam's resignation and genuine universal suffrage.
![OCTOBER 1, 2019 - HONG KONG SAR: A Pro-democracy protestor holds her hand in the air to represent protestors 'five demands' as people gather in Central Hong Kong to demonstrate against the governments anti-mask law.](https://format.creatorcdn.com/2f03e25e-e2fb-4dd0-86f3-7e5ddaf9deb8/0/0/0/0,0,3643,2429,3643,1200/0-0-0/0d4390c7-b9a1-4c95-8983-e91a68ce08a6/1/1/10042019_KR_HONGKONGPROTESTS_01_JPG.jpg?fjkss=exp=2040695108~hmac=cc3bd9a9827dfa3a1b55c946c37d39a766dcab489eb645f30ba3df5a44d3b815)
![AUGUST 18, 2019: An estimated 1.7 million people march in the pouring rain in anti-government demonstrations in opposition to a planned extradition law that has since morphed into a wider call for democratic rights.](https://format.creatorcdn.com/2f03e25e-e2fb-4dd0-86f3-7e5ddaf9deb8/0/0/0/0,0,3612,2449,3612,1200/0-0-0/e1c4db41-43ff-43cf-b074-3f7364d4a8f3/1/1/08182019_KR_HONGKONGPROTESTS_02_JPG.jpg?fjkss=exp=2040695108~hmac=af51d415f0d87cb832b54b96a23df62484f4ff42252bf9f3587f4085f0e3ca58)
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![HONG KONG PROTESTS, HONG KONG - JUNE 16, 2019: Protestors lay white flowers, the cantonese symbol of death, as part of a protest against police brutality. Violence between police and protestors has escalated since the start of the protest movement](https://format.creatorcdn.com/2f03e25e-e2fb-4dd0-86f3-7e5ddaf9deb8/0/0/0/0,0,3643,2429,3643,1200/0-0-0/373063ad-9a56-46fa-bcc0-53e3dce092fb/1/1/HK_Pro_Democratiques_KR_03_JPG.jpg?fjkss=exp=2040695108~hmac=cc3bd9a9827dfa3a1b55c946c37d39a766dcab489eb645f30ba3df5a44d3b815)
![HONG KONG PROTESTS, HONG KONG - AUGUST 22, 2019: A pro-democracy protestor wearing an eye patch - a symbol to represent police brutality - takes a break from a demonstration amidst rising tensions in Hong Kong towards the government](https://format.creatorcdn.com/2f03e25e-e2fb-4dd0-86f3-7e5ddaf9deb8/0/0/0/0,0,3643,2429,3643,1200/0-0-0/f52a44f7-3d6a-4609-8c2b-8f2b853ca353/1/1/HK_Pro_Democratiques_KR_05_JPG.jpg?fjkss=exp=2040695108~hmac=cc3bd9a9827dfa3a1b55c946c37d39a766dcab489eb645f30ba3df5a44d3b815)
![AUGUST 24, 2019 - HONG KONG: Police advance towards protestors firing tear gas and rubber bullets during anti-government demonstrations in opposition to a planned extradition bill.](https://format.creatorcdn.com/2f03e25e-e2fb-4dd0-86f3-7e5ddaf9deb8/0/0/0/0,0,3643,2429,3643,1200/0-0-0/5690c2b9-1a4e-4135-9073-938814148089/1/1/08242019_KR_HONGKONGPROTESTS_03_JPG.jpg?fjkss=exp=2040695108~hmac=cc3bd9a9827dfa3a1b55c946c37d39a766dcab489eb645f30ba3df5a44d3b815)
![OCTOBER 1: A Pro-democracy protestor walks through clouds of tear gas as protests to mark the 70th anniversary of the People's Republic of China turn violent as the city remains on the edge as protest enter their fourth month](https://format.creatorcdn.com/2f03e25e-e2fb-4dd0-86f3-7e5ddaf9deb8/0/0/0/0,0,3663,2415,3663,1200/0-0-0/214980f1-62cc-4941-b432-28bf49c9b144/1/1/10012019_KR_HONGKONGPROTESTS_05_JPG.jpg?fjkss=exp=2040695108~hmac=6b0c58ff05676992fd4a568f145ccf11347d66fc88b30d54ac395342a1674ded)
![OCTOBER 1: Pro-democracy protestors throw tear gas shells back towards the Police near the Legco Government Buildings in Admiralty as protesters mark the 70th anniversary of the People's Republic of China.](https://format.creatorcdn.com/2f03e25e-e2fb-4dd0-86f3-7e5ddaf9deb8/0/0/0/0,0,3663,2415,3663,1200/0-0-0/94f35598-223a-422d-90f6-fe9711829123/1/1/10012019_KR_HONGKONGPROTESTS_02_JPG.jpg?fjkss=exp=2040695108~hmac=6b0c58ff05676992fd4a568f145ccf11347d66fc88b30d54ac395342a1674ded)
![SEPTEMBER 29: A protestor throws a molotov cocktail towards police as protests turn violent during anti-government demonstrations outside the Legco Government buildings, Admiralty, amidst rising tensions in Hong Kong.](https://format.creatorcdn.com/2f03e25e-e2fb-4dd0-86f3-7e5ddaf9deb8/0/0/0/0,0,3650,2424,3650,1200/0-0-0/935492da-701f-425a-9847-19fefc3eed81/1/1/09292019_KR_HONGKONGPROTESTS_02_JPG.jpg?fjkss=exp=2040695108~hmac=6850b9e90dafb577d1ef8116d298a25d8d82689443f8c25f79ff75d47e708fc9)
![OCTOBER 1: Pro-democracy protestors wearing gas masks and helmets face the police near the Legco Government Buildings in Admiralty as protests to mark the 70th anniversary of the People's Republic of China turn violent.](https://format.creatorcdn.com/2f03e25e-e2fb-4dd0-86f3-7e5ddaf9deb8/0/0/0/0,0,3663,2415,3663,1200/0-0-0/8344b04c-3f74-4d43-88eb-8442e45bf963/1/1/10012019_KR_HONGKONGPROTESTS_04_JPG.jpg?fjkss=exp=2040695108~hmac=6b0c58ff05676992fd4a568f145ccf11347d66fc88b30d54ac395342a1674ded)
![SEPTEMBER 29: Police restrain and arrest a protestor as protests turn violent during anti-government demonstrations near the Legco Government buildings, Admiralty, amidst rising tensions in Hong Kong.](https://format.creatorcdn.com/2f03e25e-e2fb-4dd0-86f3-7e5ddaf9deb8/0/0/0/0,0,3643,2429,3643,1200/0-0-0/7e5a4737-78fb-4c27-b2bf-84d23380e4cf/1/1/09292019_KR_HONGKONGPROTESTS_05_JPG.jpg?fjkss=exp=2040695108~hmac=cc3bd9a9827dfa3a1b55c946c37d39a766dcab489eb645f30ba3df5a44d3b815)
![OCTOBER 1, 2019: A Pro-democracy protestor pulls a shopping cart full of supplies past a burning barricade as protests to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China turn violent.](https://format.creatorcdn.com/2f03e25e-e2fb-4dd0-86f3-7e5ddaf9deb8/0/0/0/0,0,3663,2415,3663,1200/0-0-0/b835784a-ee45-4763-8f2e-645ac7344911/1/1/10012019_KR_HONGKONGPROTESTS_07_JPG.jpg?fjkss=exp=2040695108~hmac=6b0c58ff05676992fd4a568f145ccf11347d66fc88b30d54ac395342a1674ded)
![OCTOBER 1, 2019: A Pro-democracy protestors fire fireworks towards riot police during demonstrations in Mong Kok, Kowloon as protests to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China turn violent](https://format.creatorcdn.com/2f03e25e-e2fb-4dd0-86f3-7e5ddaf9deb8/0/0/0/0,0,3643,2429,3643,1200/0-0-0/5827c75a-fa8c-4caa-8494-4977a539165c/1/1/10012019_KR_HONGKONGPROTESTS_09_JPG.jpg?fjkss=exp=2040695108~hmac=cc3bd9a9827dfa3a1b55c946c37d39a766dcab489eb645f30ba3df5a44d3b815)
![SEPTEMBER 29: A police unit searches for protestors at the end of a day which saw violent clashes between pro-democracy demonstrators and police amidst rising tensions in the city.](https://format.creatorcdn.com/2f03e25e-e2fb-4dd0-86f3-7e5ddaf9deb8/0/0/0/0,0,3663,2415,3663,1200/0-0-0/0da6eea9-f910-426d-92ad-327d9596a704/1/1/09292019_KR_HONGKONGPROTESTS_09_JPG.jpg?fjkss=exp=2040695108~hmac=6b0c58ff05676992fd4a568f145ccf11347d66fc88b30d54ac395342a1674ded)
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