the city's business district into a conflict zone.

Here are five things you need to know about the Hong Kong protests.

Britain handed Hong Kong back to the Chinese in 1997. However, it's not ruled in the same

way the mainland is.

As part of the power handover agreement, Hong Kong was to be given a large amount of autonomy

from the Beijing-based government, with universal suffrage promised 20 years down the line.

It has its own laws and people are, in the most part, more free than they are on the

mainland. You are actually allowed to protest there.

The person who runs Hong Kong is elected by a committee of just over a thousand people,

most of whom are reportedly loyal to the central Government of Beijing. Citizens were promised

they would be able to elect their own leader in 2017 but Beijing has gone back on its word.

Combine this with things like a widening wealth gap and corruption, and the stage is set for

anti-government sentiment to take hold.

Say no to fake democracy!

Say no to fake democracy!

The big day was supposed to be today, because October the first is a national holiday in China.

Groups such as Occupy Central had planned a sit-in in the financial district in what

they called an act of peaceful "civil disobedience."

However, some demonstrators took to the streets early - on Saturday - and Occupy Central and

other groups decided to join them.

On Saturday, the police reportedly responded in typically heavy handed fashion.

Dozens of people were arrested and lots were injured by police pepper spray.

As a result, more people turned out to protest on Sunday, bringing Hong Kong to a stand still.

Armed police deployed tear gas, injuring even more.

By the end of the weekend, tens of thousands of people were on the streets, and protests

have continued during the week.

It's pretty typical for oppressive regimes to ban social media during times of civil unrest.

Access to Instagram was reportedly stopped in the mainland when the protests began. China's

Twitter-equivalent has also been heavily censored. However, the protesters appear to have stayed

one step ahead. They've apparently been using the App Firechat to communicate.

It doesn't require internet or a phone connection to work, so it's much more difficult for the

authorities to monitor.

It's quite simple. The umbrella has become a symbol of the demonstrations after the publishing

of striking images of front-line protesters shielding themselves from jets of pepper spray

by hiding under umbrellas.

Social media began dubbing the protests the Umbrella Revolution and the Umbrella Movement.