The struggle for democracy is not dead, say Hong Kong's pro-democracy activists, who have pledged to continue opposing Beijing despite setbacks. The activist group Occupy Central had hoped that their threats of a mass sit-in in Hong Kong's downtown Central district would convince China to approve open democratic elections for Hong Kong's next leader. But on Sunday, the Chinese government said the elections should only consist of candidates approved by a Beijing-backed committee, dealing a blow to democracy supporters. Even the leader of the movement seemed deflated. "Up to this point, we failed," Benny Tai, the co-founder of Occupy Central, told Bloomberg Tuesday. "Beijing refused to back down."
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China announced Hong Kong will not have open elections on Sunday
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Hong Kong democracy activists say they will stage mass sit-in protest
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Hong Kong legislators will veto China's reform proposal, resulting in gridlock
Chinese officials have repeatedly said occupying @placeholder would be an illegal act that would jeopardize Hong Kong's economic security.