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Hong Kong Umbrella Movement Marks Anniversary


Protesters holding yellow umbrellas gather to observe a moment of silence to mark the first anniversary of "Umbrella Movement" outside the government headquarters in Hong Kong, Sept. 28, 2015.
Protesters holding yellow umbrellas gather to observe a moment of silence to mark the first anniversary of "Umbrella Movement" outside the government headquarters in Hong Kong, Sept. 28, 2015.

Supporters of Hong Kong's umbrella movement, which shut down sections of the city during a months-long protest last year, have returned to the streets in support of a cause they say they are still fighting for.

A small sea of yellow umbrellas descended on the area around government headquarters Monday to mark the one-year anniversary of an occupation movement that took over several key sections of the city for 79 days last year.

Chanting in favor of genuine universal suffrage, nearly 1,000 people raised their umbrellas for five minutes to mark the moment when police fired tear gas at protesters last year.

A large contingent of police was on hand and small pro-Beijing groups gathered nearby, but there were no reports of violence or arrests.

Student led protesters stormed government headquarters last September in protest of Beijing's decision to screen candidates for the territory's 2017 election for chief executive.

The movement, which involved more than 100,000 people, shut down major parts of the city and captured the world's attention, but was unable to force Beijing to change its policy.

A former British colony, Hong Kong was returned to Chinese rule in 1997 under a "one country, two systems" form of government that gave it separate laws and wide-ranging autonomy, but reserved ultimate authority for Beijing.

This report was produced in collaboration with the VOA Mandarin service.

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