The Umbrella Movement: one month on

Evening crowd at Admiralty -- photo taken 

during the first week of the protests

 Lunchtime view from above at "Occupied" Admiralty

-- photo taken in the middle of week 2 of the protests

The now ultra famous "Umbrella Man" created by

the artist known as Milk -- photo taken in week 3 of the protests

 A midweek lunchtime from above of Admiralty -- and to judge 

from this photo taken in week 4 of the protests, the area has

become more, not less, "occupied"!

 A sea of tents and people at Admiralty last Sunday evening

One month ago today, I wrote about Hong Kong being in turmoil.  That same day, I worried aloud to a friend of mine that violence would break out in the center of Hong Kong and that we'd see our first protester casualty within the next 72 hours.

Little did I know then what I now know about Hong Kongers.  And while there are people who have lauded the police for showing great restraint under trying conditions, my feeling is that it's the members of the Umbrella Movement who deserve the greater credit for things being so much more peaceful and less violent than pretty much anyone could have imagined, given the circumstances.

While we're at it: I'm also going to credit the Umbrella Movement with giving me a lot of reasons to love Hong Kong more than ever before. For even while this protest has not yet achieved what it sought to do and also has brought to light many of Hong Kong's ills, it also has shown what needs to -- and can be -- done to make Hong Kong a better place to live for the majority of its people, and that there are plenty of good people, young and old, who are willing to make sacrifices to make it so.