Hong Kong, a city better known as a financial center than a political hotspot, has erupted in recent weeks. In a movement dubbed the “Umbrella Revolution,” thousands of protesters are demanding “universal suffrage,” or the right to select the city’s chief executive free of Beijing’s meddling.

Local authorities, backed by China’s central government, have responded to the demonstrations and occupations by cracking down. Tensions are especially high in the areas still occupied by demonstrators, with both Hong Kong authorities and some residents complaining of their presence. Recent talks between the government and protesters have broken down, and Beijing and local officials have apparently hardened their stance against electoral reform.

Students are at the forefront of the movement, but unions have also played an important role. Long before the Umbrella Revolution, Hong Kong’s labor left has campaigned against the city’s massive economic inequality and the collusion between business and political elites to impose neoliberal expansion and marginalize labor.