Drone video shows the epic scale of Hong Kong protests

During the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong which have seen thousands of people set out to the street, chanting and demanding change, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter have been blocked, putting an abrupt end to the stream of photos and videos that have been coming out of there. But a video shot by a drone has emerged, revealing the scale of the action in ways that on-the-ground photos could never achieve.

The four-minute drone video makes the name the march has assumed, ‘Occupy Central’, tangible.

The photos and videos that have come out of the march have, so far, mostly been shot on the ground. Some have been incredibly powerful, like the one where police release gas into the protesters as they hoist their umbrellas to protect shield themselves from the toxic fumes. In the same picture, a man stands with his hands outstretched, almost surrendering, but in actual fact, surrendering his life to the course, as this has been the ethos that emerged among the demonstrators.

One protester, Wong Kai-keung, said, “We don’t care if we get hurt; we don’t care if we get arrested. What we care about is getting real democracy.”

Students groups have been spearheading a civil disobedience demonstration in response to Beijing’s announcement last month that it will decide who will stand for Hong Kong’s top position of Chief Executive in the 2017 elections.

Apple Daily, a news agency covering the protests, posted the video on You Tube. The drone video covers big land stretching over a bridge, into a street and then another, everywhere people demonstrating.

The turn out has shocked even Hong Kongers.

“This is an amazing turning point. Hong Kongers usually just lay there and do nothing. This time, we’re really making an impact,” said Suki Wong, a recent graduate who works as an accountant.