It took 79 days, but the Occupy Central movement that shut down the heart of Hong Kong over the demand for greater democracy in the Special Administrative Region (SAR) is over. The protests were triggered by new rules for the selection of the next leader of Hong Kong that mocked hopes of a genuinely democratic process.
The outcome is a victory for Beijing, which stood firm yet managed to avoid bloodshed.
The impulses that drove the movement have not dissipated, however; many of the motivations will only intensify. China has bought itself time, not resolved a problem.