The East Wing Forecourt of the Central Government Office, or Civic Square, is an open space in front of the East Wing of the Central Government Complex, Hong Kong, which is located in Tamar. It was once an area where protesters took part in protests and demonstrations. It was closed in July 2014, and reopened on 10 September 2014. For many, it represents democracy and freedom, and a place to express their discontent. It was occupied for a rally opposing the moral and national education school curriculum proposal in August 2012, and during the 2014 Hong Kong protests (Umbrella Revolution) in September 2014. Since then, the square is closed by the government in order to prevent protests.
Source of name
It has been called the Civil Square, or the Civic Square, since the Anti-National Education Campaign in September 2012. The 'Civic Education Commencement Ceremony' was held in Tamar Park on 1 September 2012. Later on, the Civil Alliance Against the National Education (民間反對國民教育科大聯盟) suggested to remain in the East Wing Forecourt of the Central Government Office until the government responded. In the meantime, the volunteers and the Civil Alliance decided to call the Forecourt 'The Civil Square', in order to express their willing on this issue. The name has been generally accepted and it has been in use since then.
Events
Anti-national education campaign (August 2012 – October 2012) On 8 September 2012, Education Bureau had planned to carry out moral and national education as a compulsory subject in the new school year and implement for three-year. Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying said schools could decide when to implement it within the next three years. On 8 September 2012, Leung Chun-ying announced the cancellation of the three-year period of Moral and national education. Schools can now decide whether to implement the course or not.
People in the Pro-Beijing camp think that the move was "international practice" and was necessary to improve the understanding of China;. The opposition argues that mandatory implementation of Moral and national education destroys schools' autonomy. In other words, that the course was a "brainwashing" education. Scholarism initiated a number of activities, such as Street Station, processions, signatory, rallies and hunger strikes in order to requires the Government to withdraw the Moral and national education. Civil Alliance Against the National Education (民間反對國民教育科大聯盟) was established in July 2012, to oppose the Government's implementation of Moral and national education.
On 30 August 2012, some Scholarism members and students occupied the Central Government Offices roundabout (Civil Square). This was where three Scholarism members started a hunger strike. On 3 September 2012, Scholarism and Civil Alliance Against the National Education (民間反對國民教育科大聯盟) officially announced an indefinite occupation of the Central Government Offices roundabout (Civil Square). Every day, more than 8,000 people participated in meetings after school. The number of people at the gatherings and meeting increased dramatically and reached a peak in the evening of 7 September 2012 .The Assembly said that more than 120 thousand people joined rallies in Civil Square, Tamar Park, Tim Mei Avenue, but police estimated that there were 30,006 participants.
The subject has aroused wide concerns in Hong Kong society. On 8 October 2012, the Government announced that it was shelving curriculum guidelines.
2014 Hong Kong protest (September 2014 – present) The 2014 Hong Kong protest is a democratic movement known as the Umbrella Movement. On 22 September, the Hong Kong Federation of Students and Scholarism started protesting outside the government headquarters. Later, on 28 September, Occupy Central with Love and Peace movement announced that they would begin their civil disobedience campaign immediately which was ‘Occupy Central’. Protesters blocked both east–west arterial routes in northern Hong Kong Island near Admiralty and occupying Causeway Bay and Mong Kok. To stop the protest, police tactics (including the use of tear gas) and attacks on protesters by opponents that included triad members, had triggered more citizens to join the protests. For the government, they had set a deadline of 6 October which is hope that it can called for an end of the protest, but it was ignored by the protesters, and the movement are still running.