The protests, nicknamed the Umbrella Revolution, earned their name because protesters had to shield themselves from onslaughts of tear gas and pepper spray.
Kiko Wong, an exchange student from Hong Kong, has a personal connection with the protests.
“Most of my friends are going on the street,” Wong said. “My sister is on the street.”
“All my friends are just being attacked all day, and I can do nothing,” he said.
Students from the Chinese University of Hong Kong are leading the occupation, protesting the Chinese government’s recent encroachment on Hong Kong’s promised 50 years of political autonomy, an infringement which began when the government announced in August that it would pre-select candidates for the upcoming election.
The Asian Students Association wanted to raise awareness and educate students about the protest.
“We all noticed that other schools around the nation have been doing these sort of demonstrations, so we thought it would be good for UNC to have some sort of voice, especially in the Asian community,” said Tim Kang, public relations chairman for the group.
Kang said many students who visited the table in the Pit were unaware of the protests.
