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Protests in Hong Kong

Protests in Hong Kong

Images of protests in China's Hong Kong in this photo gallery by ITAR-TASS

Photo {{sliderIndex+1}} from 12

The movement has been already labeled "the Umbrella Revolution" for the umbrellas that many people are holding to protect themselves from pepper spray and tear gas, as well as to cope with oppressive heat

© AP Photo/Wally Santana

The protesters, the majority of whom are students, continue blocking the streets in several areas of Hong Kong and the Kowloon Peninsula, seriously disrupting the traffic

© AP Photo/Wong Maye-E

The demonstrations on Tuesday are mostly peaceful

© AP Photo/Wong Maye-E

No special police units, which on Sunday used tear gas to disperse the crowds, are now seen on the streets. Police officers are trying to convince the pro-democracy protesters to leave the streets and key crossroads to allow emergency vehicles, public transport and other traffic to pass

© EPA/JEROME FAVRE

However, the protesters are set to remain on the Hong Kong streets

© AP Photo/Wong Maye-E

The unrest comes in response to a move last month by the Chinese authorities to announce that candidates for the 2017 chief executive election in Hong Kong would first have to be approved by a nominating committee

© AP Photo/Wong Maye-E

Protesters say that the proposal will allow Beijing to control the selection of candidates at the nomination stage, stressing that this undermines the people's right to freely choose their leader

© AP Photo/Vincent Yu

Such restrictions would exclude opposition candidates from running for the position

© AP Photo/Wong Maye-E

Since late Sunday, users in mainland China have been unable to access Instagram

© AP Photo/Wally Santana

People change their profile pictures to images of yellow umbrellas or a yellow stripe with black background on social networks in support of the protesters

© AP Photo/Wong Maye-E

The movement has been already labeled "the Umbrella Revolution" for the umbrellas that many people are holding to protect themselves from pepper spray and tear gas, as well as to cope with oppressive heat

© AP Photo/Wally Santana

Protesters are threatening to continue the civil disobedience actions

© AP Photo/Wong Maye-E

On Sunday, thousands of protesters, calling for the democratization of the election system in China’s special administrative region, blocked the central streets of Hong Kong.

The protests are part of a campaign of civil disobedience called "Occupy Central with Peace and Love" aimed at paralyzing the key business area and push Hong Kong and mainland China to revise their election plans.

The Hong Kong residents maintain that they have the right to freely elect the chief executive of the territory, which was handed by Britain back to China in 1997 under a "one country, two systems" formula that guarantees freedoms not seen on the mainland, including the right to protest.

China’s authorities have promised to allow this practice in 2017 on condition that there are no more than three candidates who need to be approved by the nominating committee controlled by Beijing.

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China Hong Kong

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