Hong Kong was handed over to China in 1997 from Great Britain. As it operates under the "One Country, Two Systems" policy with China meaning that China still owns the territories of Hong Kong and Macau but the two regions have a high degree of autonomy. The Hong Kong Basic Law Article 45 sets out the requirements for the Chief Executive election stated that the ultimate aim of the election of Chief Executive is that it should reflect universal suffrage.
The Umbrella Movement was heavily supported by individuals under the age of 40 that usually were educated to the university level. Professors such as Dr. Benny Tai, Chan Kin-man, and Chu Yiu-Ming co-founded the Occupy Central with Love and Peace campaign. During my interview with Dr. Benny Tai, he stated that from his own experience as a professor, his students are independent and form their own views. Some of his students agreed with the movement while others disagreed although he believed the Umbrella Movement motivated many people in Hong Kong to commit to the push for democracy. The tension between Mainland China and Hong Kong is increasing as China attempts to assert more control over the territory of Hong Kong. The ownership of Hong Kong by China is still fairly recent as Hong Kong has only been under China's control for about 20 years. Prior to the transfer of ownership from Great Britain to China, Hong Kong was able to enjoy more freedom under Great Britain's control in terms of no Communist influence and less censorship.
The Umbrella Movement lasted the period of 79 days until the organizers of the "Occupy Central with Love and Peace" campaign surrendered. Protestors were forced to leave and their roadblocks were dismantled by police forces on December 15, 2014. All protestors that did not leave were arrested. The Umbrella Movement was somewhat of a failure with no change to the decision made by the Standing Committee about the election of the Chief Executive. The Hong Kong Government strengthened their control over educational institutions, entertainment, and media. However, the Umbrella Movement did leave behind the legacy of a major movement in Hong Kong and influenced some of the Hong Kong population to get involved with the political landscape.