HONG KONG-- Thousands of Hong Kongers bid a bittersweet goodbye, for now, to the demonstrations that have blocked key traffic arteries of the city for more than two months.
"You are only clearing a camp, you can't clear the idea!" #Occupy protesters vow to return http://t.co/7EeRAfco87 pic.twitter.com/jxkSYV7aVi— James Griffiths (@jgriffiths) December 11, 2014
Bailiffs and police moved in to clear the main protest site -- a tent camp that sprung up in October on the main road in an area called Admiralty –- on Thursday just after 2 p.m. local time. The protesters were surrounded by police, who slowly moved in on the site, and blocked the roads leading to Admiralty with human barricades.
At 4 p.m. local time, a predominately female police presence moved in to arrest the remaining 100 seated protesters, asking media to clear the path. Some protesters raised a three-finger salute in defiance, others were walked or dragged away from the site. There was no violence or resisting arrest. The arrests came after numerous final warnings over a loud speaker by authorities.
A protester being carried away from sit-in area #occupyhk #OccupyCentral #UmbrellaMovement #hongkong pic.twitter.com/LI5NkWQdSy— Young Post (@youngposthk) December 11, 2014
Eason Chung of Federation of Students arrested and taken away #UmbrellaMovement #OccupyCentral #OccupyHK pic.twitter.com/34kwWuopr9— Fion Li (@fion_li) December 11, 2014
#OccupyHK RT @tomgrundy: Third 'final' warning to protesters at the sit-in to disperse #Occupycentral https://t.co/jY8oBsGG2e— Daniel Satra (@ChinaMonitoring) December 11, 2014
Police have set up an aisle, lined by media, down which they carry those they arrest like a surreal reality tv show pic.twitter.com/4Yv8Pey81j— Louisa Lim (@limlouisa) December 11, 2014
As the authorities made their way through the protest site to the final pro-democracy demostraters, they dismantled tents, broke barricades and ripped apart supply stations that had provided basic necessities to the protesters for two months.
Police in tactical gear break up barricades #OccupyHK #Occupycentral https://t.co/DwOFKrJW7k— Tom Grundy (@tomgrundy) December 11, 2014
Police kicking their way through tents in Umbrella Square #UmbrellaMovement #hongkong pic.twitter.com/7RYTcHMv98— Tom Phillips (@tomphillipsin) December 11, 2014
Earlier police warned those remaining within the cordoned-off area would be arrested, according to the South China Morning Post. Those choosing to leave the Admiralty area were asked to present ID cards to police officers.
RT @tomphillipsin: Police moving in. End in sight. pic.twitter.com/wYkCqRirOx— Edward Wong (@comradewong) December 11, 2014
Exit through Rodney Street blocked. #OccupyHK pic.twitter.com/PMqFKHQgej— Kris Cheng (@krislc) December 11, 2014
Police edge slowly into the #OccupyHK zone. https://t.co/mI72t4UqFD— Tom Grundy (@tomgrundy) December 11, 2014
The area was originally expected to be cleared at 11 a.m. local time but the deadline passed with only a slow clearing of barriers, a watchful police presence and little resistance from protesters.
Bailiffs slowly working thid way through barricades in Admiralty. Things calm. A photo posted by Bettina Wassener (@bwassener) on Dec 12, 2014 at 8:11pm PST
Authorities methodically removing Hong Kong barricades on edge of protest site pic.twitter.com/ogvPZwDJ1W— Alex Ogle (@Alex_Ogle) December 11, 2014
On Thursday morning, police buses lined up on the main street near Admiralty and some protesters began to clean up the site while others sat down as a sign of defiance.
Some students sitting in the road in final act of defiance. pic.twitter.com/iVEhCKHH5x— Ian Woods (@IanWoodsSky) December 11, 2014
Police convoy on hold in Central awaiting the #occupycentral clearing orders. pic.twitter.com/cIWZDne4Xw— PenguinSix (@PenguinSix) December 11, 2014
Hundreds of protesters and onlookers remained at the site wandering around taking photos. In one place, student leaders were holding a small rally calling for democracy. Elsewhere people were slowly packing up their tents and other possessions and saying sometimes teary goodbyes.
"I am so sad," said Susan, a 20-year-old student who did not want to give her full name, told Mashable. "I have been here so many times in the last few months and I have made so many friends. It is sad we have to leave now."
Earlier this week an injunction had been passed to clear the area, which is outside key government offices and has disrupted traffic on Hong Kong island, home to the city's banking district.
Some are packing up as clearance can start any minute now. #UmbrellaMovement #OccupyCentral #OccupyHK pic.twitter.com/c7oSWmlJZw— Fion Li (@fion_li) December 11, 2014
Proud of the thousands of protestors who remain here in the face of possible police crackdown #umhk #occupyHK pic.twitter.com/D1mixJs00P— Harold Li (@waphle) December 11, 2014
At the Lennon Wall, the mass of Post-It Notes had been removed overnight for archiving. But everywhere new posters and banners had appeared. We will be back, they said.
The post-it wall will always be the post-it wall, even without the post-its. HK. A photo posted by Bettina Wassener (@bwassener) on Dec 12, 2014 at 4:36pm PST
This is the message throughout the #OccupyHK site on banners, in chalk, balloon and voiced out loud. #umhk @dpa pic.twitter.com/8AgWjH3ZwV— Christy Choi (@jchristychoi) December 11, 2014
Protesters laid a massive "Glitter Trap". If police try to clear this they will be forced to do so with Pizzazz! pic.twitter.com/bdeEq9mm00— ant (@antd) December 11, 2014
The authorities were taking advantage of the fact that support for the demonstration has been fizzling for the past few weeks.
Many Hong Kong people still support the main goal of the protests -– free elections in 2017 and the stepping down of the deeply unpopular chief executive, CY Leung. But many have been getting tired of the months of deadlock that seemed to get few results. And so the number of people who have joined the protest camp has dwindled sharply over the past couple weeks.
By Wednesday, some of the protesters were preparing to move their tents and other possessions to areas not covered by the injunction.
Packing up the revolution. HK. A photo posted by Bettina Wassener (@bwassener) on Dec 12, 2014 at 1:49am PST
Still, by Wednesday afternoon, the crowds swelled once again as people –- among them school children in uniforms and office workers in suits -– mounted a show of sympathy for what has become known as the “umbrella movement.”
They were seizing what was most likely the last chance to see the tent city, to sit on the usually busy highway, and to snap photos of the now iconic Lennon Wall, which is covered in messages of support for the protests.
A big farewell party always is bittersweet. Here everyone wants a last picture of Lennon Wall #hk #occupyclearance pic.twitter.com/AYIeqzzEbF— Ilaria Maria Sala (@IlariaMariaSala) December 10, 2014
But they were also mounting a show of defiance, clapping loudly at times as student leaders and others held speeches late into the night.
Chants of "we will be back!" as #OccupyHK main stage brings proceedings to a close. https://t.co/yMGfpevpn8— Tom Grundy (@tomgrundy) December 10, 2014
And everywhere, people had pinned new banners to the fading barricades and road surfaces. “We'll be back,” they read, over and over again.
We'll be back. We'll be back. Well be back. HK. A photo posted by Bettina Wassener (@bwassener) on Dec 12, 2014 at 1:39am PST
Leaders of two key student groups appealed to supporters to stay overnight and rally peacefully on Thursday to make a last stand.
Alex Chow, the secretary of the Hong Kong Federation of Students, said it was important for the protesters to demonstrate their spirit of civil disobedience. Likewise, Joshua Wong, the 18-year old head of Scholarism, another student group, urged protesters not to obstruct the bailiffs or police, and to remain non-violent.
“If the government wants to use police to clear the site, don’t forget, the clearance can’t resolve political conflicts, it can’t resolve society’s dilemma,” he said.
Joshua Wong: Seeing such a great turnout tonight, I must say people don't know how to treasure smth until they're about to lose it #occupyhk— Ellie Ng (@elliepng) December 10, 2014
As injunction notices posted in Admiralty, protesters say "We'll be back." #UmbrellaMovement (Picture via @BWassener) pic.twitter.com/z9RKqazEDT— Natasha Khan (@natashakhanhk) December 9, 2014