Hong Kong ( CNN ) '' We 'll be back '' banners and posters proclaimed on the 75th and final day of the pro-democracy protests that have upended Hong Kong . Whether that 's a threat or a wan hope depends on who you ask right now . The students that formed the `` Umbrella Movement '' -- named for the humble umbrella used to protect against tear gas and pepper spray -- are morose but defiant , and more alienated than ever . Pro-government supporters have transformed from being rather passionless parrots of the Beijing line into fire-breathing zealots demanding Hong Kong police bash the heads of anyone stepping into the streets . Emotions are clearly raw , and probably will continue to be into 2015 . The `` Occupy Central '' protests make the upcoming annual policy address by the city 's leader , Chief Executive C.Y . Leung , in mid January the most critical since Hong Kong reunified with China in 1997 . Continuing to stand firm and largely ignore protesters wo n't fix the sources of so much `` turmoil '' -- a term associated with the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre and controversially used in the South China Morning Post 's headline on Occupy Central 's ending . The governments in Hong Kong and Beijing must demonstrate clear understanding of what drove so many to protest so long . Unless the diagnosis is correct , prescriptions of `` medicines '' will do more harm than good . PHOTOS : Hong Kong protesters bid camp farewell . Demand to be heard . Demands for democracy are in reality demands to be heard . Leung must show he listens to everyone , that he cares , and that he will take action—decisive , but fair action . And that 's the rub . Research shows one crucial value—belief in a level playing field—has become deeply damaged . Hong Kongers once widely believed with hard work , some sacrifice and good education , anyone could improve their circumstances and achieve a good livelihood . Tycoons like Li Ka-Shing were adulated because they started with nothing and worked their way up . Today many fewer than before think hard work , sacrifice and good education can lead to better lives . Indeed , many more believe government policy-making is unfair . As proof this is one major cause of unrest , the protest movement caught fire when local government officials refused to meet students demanding to be heard . Instead , they escorted 70 of the richest Hong Kongers to Beijing for private audiences with national leaders . Talking with students , on the other hand , helped to reduce numbers of protestors . They demanded fair treatment , equal to that given the tycoons . The promise of a new platform for exchanging views with youth must be fleshed out in the address . Leung needs to schedule regular question and answer sessions with students like he already does with the city 's chambers of commerce . Until those presently excluded from consultation are included , the belief the city 's leader unfairly heeds business interests over everyone else will continue to undermine government legitimacy . Causes of unrest . Other fundamental causes of unrest stem from unintended consequences of previous decisions . A 2010 policy decision privatizing commercial space in public housing estates removed cheap rental access for younger and poorer entrepreneurs making Hong Kong 's tycoon-dominated crony capitalism even tougher to break through . A real competition policy with teeth that makes sure tycoons compete equally with everyone else for business is essential . Rationalizing the hodgepodge of retirement ages and pension provisions into something simplified , consistent and fair is a must . Many youth resent being unfairly burdened with aging family members , and government shows very little awareness or sense of urgency . A proposal this year to extend the retirement age for civil servants to 65 prompted demands from unions to raise it immediately . People must be truly desperate . Elsewhere , proposing to raise the retirement age sparks protests . Here , it sparks demands for immediate implementation . People do n't want handouts ; they want fair treatment , whatever their age . Another source of unrest is the sheer press of numbers on our limited space . I strongly supported the decision to finally extend easier entry for mainland Chinese visitors in 2003 . However , from a too low number of 8.5 million mainland tourists arriving in 2003 , we now very likely have too many for our infrastructure to handle . With 40.7 million mainland Chinese visitors , we are likely hitting capacity . Chauffeured cars . Hong Kong needs central and local government officials who understand life 's daily pressures and stress points . Perhaps Hong Kong should imitate what President Xi Jinping 's anti-corruption policies have unleashed on the mainland : . Officials getting out of their chauffeured cars , giving up their maid service and joining the rest of us standing in long lines . It would only be fair . And that is why Occupy Central demanded that the next election for the city chief executive be fair . Everything else is not ; and the tycoons and top officials do n't get it . Until they do , Occupy Central 's promise/threat of `` we 'll be back '' is probably right .
The main pro-democracy protest camp was cleared on Thursday . Banners and posters proclaimed `` We 'll be back , '' Hong Kong and Beijing need to understand why so many demonstrated .