The Hong Kong teenager who has become the face of pro-democracy protests in the city ended his hunger strike on Saturday for health reasons . Joshua Wong started the hunger strike on Monday , December 1 , telling CNN it was the `` only way '' to get the government to agree to talks . A statement on his Facebook page said that the strike lasted for 108 hours and he ended it on the advice of his doctor . He said he felt `` extremely unwell '' and his blood sugar was very low . The 18-year-old activist , who leads a student group called Scholarism , wants open elections for Hong Kong 's next leader , but Beijing has said Hong Kong may only hold elections if candidates are nominated by a small committee . Wong 's hunger strike was seen as an attempt to rally a movement which has shown growing signs of fracture . Protesters have camped more than two months on an eight-lane highway in Hong Kong 's Admiralty district , but the government has shown no willingness to make concessions . The movement 's momentum has sputtered and leaders of different protest groups are split over what action to take .
Hong Kong teenage protest leader ends hunger strike . Joshua Wong said it was `` only way '' to get government to agree to talks . '"