14 DAY TRIAL // Hong Kong is taken over by protests, and it looks like the government is trying its best to keep things in-house as much as possible. While Hong Kong authorities have a lenient attitude towards social media sites and western services in general, mainland China is known for the exact opposite, exemplified once more by the blocking of Instagram on Sunday.
The New York Times reporters based in Hong Kong have confirmed that Instagram was inaccessible in mainland China, which is most likely a move from the government trying to keep the Hong Kong uprisings a secret from the rest of the country.
The blocking of the service seems impossible not to be related to the fact that images of the violent clashes between protesters and the police made their way online. The #OccupyCentral hashtag is certainly not among the favorite things of the Chinese authorities either since it centralizes social media reports from Hong Kong regarding the protests.
And it’s not just Instagram that was blocked. Facebook is inaccessible, as well as Twitter. Vine, on the other hand, continues to be accessible throughout China’s provinces, as data from BlockedInChina shows.
Hong Kong citizens, however, have access to both Instagram and Facebook, as well as Twitter, showing in a rather clear mode just how different the autonomous region is from the rest of China.
What's happening in Hong Kong
The protests have been taking place because Hong Kong citizens want to have democratic elections in 2017 and to limit the control the Beijing government has on the area.
Student groups began protesting outside the government headquarters early last week. The events intensified over the next few days and this past weekend there were thousands of protesters covering entire streets.
Police used shields, batons and pepper spray on the protesters that managed to breach a security barrier keeping people away from the plaza in front of the government headquarter building. On Sunday, police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowds and threatened with opening fire.
On Monday, the government announced that it had pulled back the riot police from roads in Hong Kong where residents had blocked traffic.
“Because the residents who have assembled on the roadways have largely returned to calm, the riot police have already withdrawn,” said a spokesperson with the government.
Even though the police presence has lessened, the rage of the citizens hasn’t and the government is urging protesters to go home so life can return to normal. Chances are, however, that the protests will go on until people get what they want.