A Hong Kong court notice ordering the eviction of democracy demonstrators from parts of the main protest site they have occupied for seven weeks has been published in leading newspapers on November 16, 2014 the first such public circular that empowers authorities to start clearing rally sites
Key dates in the recent development of Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement, leading up to mass protests that brought tens of thousands onto the streets to demand fully free elections:
June 10:
Beijing issues a "White Paper" on Hong Kong that -- according to
democracy campaigners -- shows that the city's much-cherished freedoms
could be revoked at any time.
June 30:
800,000 people vote in favour of greater democratic freedoms than
Beijing has proposed in an unofficial referendum organized by the
protest group Occupy Central.
August 31:
China insists on its right to vet candidates for Hong Kong's next
leadership elections in 2017 elections. In response, Occupy Central and
other groups vow to embark on an "era of civil disobedience" including
mass sit-ins.
September 22: University students begin a week-long boycott of classes.
September 26:
Around 150 student protesters storm government headquarters and occupy a
courtyard in the complex. Police use pepper spray to repel them. The
protesters defend themselves with their now emblematic umbrellas.
September 28:
With parts of the government complex besieged, Occupy Central joins the
students announcing it has begun its civil disobedience campaign. A
major street opposite government headquarters is taken over by
protesters.
In response riot officers fire tear
gas and crowd numbers swell with many apparently moved to join the
protest in anger at the police action.
October 1:
Celebrations of Communist China's National Day takes place against a
backdrop of noisy pro-democracy protests throughout the city.
October 2: Hong Kong's leader CY Leung rejects protester demands that he resign but offers to send his deputy to talk to demonstrators.
October 3:
Student leaders agree to Leung's offer of talks. But chaos later erupts
in Mong Kok, a busy working-class shopping district taken over by
protesters, when government loyalist thugs attack demonstrators.
October 4:
Student leaders call off talks, accusing police of failing to act over
violent attacks against them. Tens of thousands gather for a mass peace
rally in central Hong Kong in response to the assaults.
October 6:
Protest numbers dwindle but demonstrators remain in control of
barricades across the city. Protest leaders agree to a resumption of
talks.
October 8: Leung comes
under pressure over his failure to declare two payments totalling HK$50
million ($6.5 million) from Australian engineering company UGL received
while in office.
October 9:
Democracy activists vow to ratchet up their campaign, joining with
pan-democratic lawmakers who vow to gridlock government committees they
control. Talks collapse as government pulls out.
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