Hong Kong: As public sentiment turns sharply against the Hong Kong police and their attempts to quell the city's swelling pro-democracy protests, wave after wave of supporters arrived in the heart of Hong Kong prepared for a hostile reception.
Aware that riot police had been firing volleys of tear-gas into the crowds, they used umbrellas as shields, wore surgical masks over their noses and cling wrap around their eyes, and raised their arms in the air in the defiant style of the protests in Ferguson, Missouri.
The striking images splashed across front pages here, of colourful umbrellas being rained on with tear-gas, have already spawned a new name for the protests on social media: the "umbrella revolution".
But as protesters call for the resignation of Hong Kong chief executive Leung Chun-ying, and openly express their disdain for China's ruling Communist Party, it is the references to potential colour revolutions – a term applied broadly to civil movements aimed at overthrowing governments seen as authoritarian – that prompt fears about what lengths Beijing will take to end what has been a gravely sensitive turn of events.
"They would use the [pretext of] a colour revolution to justify whatever force they use, whether it is deployment of Hong Kong's elite anti-riot police, or even deploying from its People's Liberation Army garrison [in Hong Kong]," Willy Lam, an expert on Chinese politics who teaches at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said, referring to the low-profile Chinese army base next to Hong Kong's government headquarters.
In an article on the Chinese state-run Global Times website that was later deleted, it was suggested that the mainland's paramilitary force could assist Hong Kong police in putting down the protests. "Support from the armed forces could quickly restore stability," the article said.
Thousands of student-led pro-democracy protesters had been gathering in front of government offices since Friday to protest a decision by Beijing to reject calls for Hong Kong to directly elect its next chief executive.
The momentum prompted Hong Kong's main pro-democracy group, Occupy Central, to bring forward protests that were originally planned for Wednesday to coincide with China's national day holiday, which is also observed in Hong Kong.
On Sunday afternoon, police moved in, lobbing tear-gas canisters into the crowd and blocking supporters from entering the area.
The desire to protest, it appears, has spread beyond the bounds of any defined organisation, and has been characterised by the fear of greater influence from Beijing. While many of the protesters outside government offices in Admiralty were young professionals or university students, thousands of other demonstrators from all walks of life converged on the densely populated Kowloon heartland district of Mongkok.
"This has already become a spontaneous movement of the Hong Kong people that does not come under any organisation," Occupy Central said in a statement, while declaring its support.
By Monday morning, numerous major intersections in central Hong Kong remained blocked as commuters made their way to work. Schools in affected areas were shut, while hundreds of high school children elsewhere boycotted class and staged sit-ins in their schoolyards.
While the city's stock exchange said it would continue to operate as normal, 17 banks were forced to close 29 branches across the city.
Police say there have been 78 arrests since Friday in connection with the protests while at least 34 were reported injured on Sunday. Organisers estimated that 50,000 people had flooded the streets around the government complex at the peak of the protest. Police did not give an estimate.
Willy Lam, the university professor, said Beijing would likely want the protesters cleared by the night of October 2, when Hong Kong returns from a two-day public holiday break.
"CY Leung cannot afford to look bad in the eyes of Beijing," he said. But Beijing was unlikely to meet protesters' demands of returning to the negotiating table, he added.
As protesters braced for another tense stand-off into the night with police, the same tear-gas umbrellas were being used as shade from Hong Kong's unrelenting heat.
"This [Hong Kong] government only cares about what Chinese government thinks, not about Hong Kong people," Ruki Yeung, a 26-year-old designer, said. "We don't want Hong Kong to become the next China, this is very important."
