Hong Kong (CNN) In a gesture of defiance to Beijing, Hong Kongers have elected a raft of young former pro-democracy protesters, including several who advocate for independence for the city from China. "It shows that there is a major change in the mentality of Hong Kong people," says Chinese University of Hong Kong professor Willy Lam. "People want to thumb their noses at Beijing and send a strong message that the past few years ... of suppressing Hong Kong's democratic aspirations cannot be tolerated." Hong Kong independenceSeveral prominent Umbrella Movement protesters were elected across Hong Kong, including Nathan Law, who co-founded Demosisto with activist Joshua Wong , who was unable to run as he is not yet 21. He pointed to previous parallels drawn by Chinese officials between Hong Kong independence advocates and "separatists" in Tibet and Taiwan.

Source: CNN September 05, 2016 01:59 UTC