( CNN ) -- The images are all too familiar . Young protesters , disenfranchised and frustrated , take to the streets to fight a government that is ignoring their demands . At first peaceful , the protests are met with the heavy hand of riot police . Photographs of resilient demonstrators -- some standing obstinate amid the clouds of tear gas , others covered in pepper spray -- flood the Internet . But what is surprising about this week 's images is that they come from Hong Kong , one of Asia 's financial hubs and a territory known for its stability . The impetus for these pro-democracy protests , started by a student boycott of classes and joined by the group Occupy Central with Love and Peace , was the Chinese government 's pronouncement that the selection of candidates in Hong Kong 's election in 2017 would be limited by a pro-Beijing committee , a move that would ostensibly prevent a leader resistant to Beijing 's influence from coming to power . Such an arrangement follows the letter of the Basic Law , which codified the policy of `` one country , two systems , '' as well as a 2007 decree by the National People 's Congress that promised universal suffrage in 2017 , but hardly their spirit . It is therefore no surprise that the signs have long seemed to point to an eventual clash of perspective . Hong Kong was returned to mainland China from the British Commonwealth in 1997 , its institutions grounded in Western and democratic thought . Hong Kong 's economic freedoms and openness draws in companies and individuals from around the globe , further perpetuating the territory 's ties to the outside world . On the other side of the coin is Beijing , well known for its opposition to the open flow of information and the Western concept of democracy . Hong Kong protests : What you need to know . Both sides have demonstrated restraint , with the protesters remaining largely peaceful and the government pulling back riot police after a day of aggressive crowd control tactics . Moreover , it is in the interest of both parties to maintain a low level of intensity . Violent escalation by the Occupy Central movement would only justify an equally violent response , and international condemnation and domestic anger would follow hostile action by the police . That said , in a meeting with Hong Kong 's business elite , Chinese President Xi Jinping asserted that Beijing will not yield . The Chinese government is aggressively censoring posts on Weibo , a popular social media site -- censored posts reportedly increased five-fold over the weekend , and `` Hong Kong '' is now the most widely deleted search term on the social media site -- and Instagram was blocked for the first time in Hong Kong . In the meantime , the Occupy Central movement has already achieved much by bringing greater attention to Hong Kong 's struggle for democracy . As the removal of riot police reveals , the international presence in Hong Kong means that Beijing does not have the same freedom of action as it does on the mainland . In China , demonstrations against issues such as pollution , corruption and forced land seizures are common and under-reported , caught behind the government 's Great Firewall . But it is harder for the world to ignore the comprehensive and detailed reports emanating from Hong Kong . With their actions , the Hong Kong citizens are assembling the pieces for greater civil and political participation in not only Hong Kong but also mainland China . The possible financial ramifications of the Occupy Central movement could cause Beijing to seek a quick conclusion to the demonstrations . After all , with traffic bottlenecked by protesters , business as usual in one of Asia 's financial hubs and China 's financial center is in question . A number of banks reportedly temporarily closed some of their branches and asked employees to work from home . Investors , too , are waiting to see the outcome of the protests in Hong Kong before continuing projects . Should the demonstrations linger , Beijing might therefore need to reassess its tactics -- though this could result in an even more aggressive crackdown . The road ahead will not be easy . Xi and the Communist Party are unlikely to shift from the short-term tactic of censorship and suppression . The leaders and participants of the Occupy Central movement risk arrest and censure in a territory and country that values stability above all . But they are carving out a space for civil and political participation throughout Greater China . In the end , such participation will improve both China 's governance and the lives of its people . Now if only Beijing can get out of its own way . From umbrella protests to 'umbrella revolution '
Hong Kong was returned to mainland China from the British Commonwealth in 1997 . George Piekos : Occupy Central brings attention to Hong Kong 's struggle for democracy . Hong Kong people are assembling together for greater civil society , Piekos says .