KELSEY PHARIS

Umbrella; noun; something that covers or protects from above. When the word umbrella comes into thought it is usually to protect yourself from rain, not from tear gas raining down from the sky.

Protests have taken over the streets of Hong Kong as civilians take the street to protest China’s continuous oppression.

Hong Kong has an upcoming election in 2017 and the Chinese government is refusing to allow open selection for candidates. Instead of the economic power being able to elect who they want, a panel of two or three people will select the candidates who will be running during the 2017 elections.

Protesters labeled the revolution as the ‘Umbrella Revolution’ because of the use of umbrellas to block themselves from the tear gas the cops threw on them.

There has been no looting or riots during these protests and are extremely peaceful so why are the police using tear gas and arresting people for no real reason?

Volunteers are roaming around the streets picking up litter, helping those in need of medical care, handing out water bottles and giving out gas masks to help against tear gas.

Protesters have hung signs on bridges near government headquarters that say “Do you hear the people sing,” a saying from Les Miserables as well as “Don’t want fake democracy.”

A civil disobedience group, Occupy Central, has called for the current chief executive Leung Chun-ying to resign.

One of the biggest fears for people is another Tiananmen Square incident, as they realize the situation could end either very well or very badly.

Tens of thousands of people are protesting in attempts for the Chinese government to allow Hong Kong the democracy they have been able to have for the past 17 years with an agreement of “one country, two systems”.