On August 31, the National People’s Congress Standing Committee in Beijing ratified a plan for Hong Kong’s 2017 chief executive election that failed to meet expectations of universal suffrage as promised under the Basic Law. It was a bitter disappointment that a great many Hong Kong people opposed.

The decision led Hong Kong activists to push forward with their "Occupy Central" movement in protest. Occupy was soon superseded by student protesters under the banner of the "Umbrella Revolution." Tear gas volleys shot by police only swelled the protests as tens of thousands of people joined in, shutting down large parts of the city for several days during the period of the October 1 National Day holidays. The protests were peaceful, orderly and determined.

See the photos from the protests taken by Kevin Lau, AJ Libunao, and Min Seok Kim. Also, follow Asia Sentinel's reports and analysis of events during the protests here.