> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://hyperallergic.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # China Blocks Instagram Amid Censorship of Hong Kong Protests - URL: https://hyperallergic.com/china-blocks-instagram-amid-censorship-of-hong-kong-protests/ - Published: 2014-09-29T18:01:16.000Z - Updated: 2025-11-24T16:00:27.000Z - Description: China has blocked Instagram, various media outlets are reporting, after monitoring sites like Blocked in China and Great Fire were unable to access it. - Author: Laura C. Mallonee - Tags: News, Censorship, China, Hong Kong, Instagram, #wp, #wp-post, #image-position-hidden, #Import 2025-11-24 07:03 (2014, 2015, part 1) ![(Image by penyka on Instagram) ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2014/09/china-revolution.jpg) (image via penyka/Instagram) China has blocked Instagram, [various](http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-29409533?ref=hyperallergic.com) [media](http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2014/09/28/china%5Fhong%5Fkong%5Fprotests%5Finstagram%5Fblock?ref=hyperallergic.com) [outlets](http://www.upi.com/Science%5FNews/Technology/2014/09/28/China-has-blocked-Instagram-during-Hong-Kong-protests/4881411935154/?ref=hyperallergic.com) are reporting, after monitoring sites like [Blocked in China](http://www.blockedinchina.net/?siteurl=http%3A%2F%2Finstagram.com&ref=hyperallergic.com) and [Great Fire](https://en.greatfire.org/instagram.com?ref=hyperallergic.com) were unable to access it. The photo-sharing app now joins the likes of Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Vimeo, Vine, Soundcloud, WordPress, and Dropbox, among many others the government has blocked. Citizens had been sharing images and videos of [pro-democracy demonstrations in Hong Kong](http://www.theguardian.com/world/gallery/2014/sep/28/hong-kong-pro-democracy-protests-in-pictures?ref=hyperallergic.com) over the weekend using hashtags #occupycentral and #umbrellarevolution, among others. The ban, which only affects mainland China, denotes Instagram’s ongoing transition to a more mainstream role in online discourse, where real political action can be expressed — and censored. According to a [report](Searches%20for%20“Occupy Central” and “Hong Kong protest” on Sina Weibo, the country’s most popular microblog, yielded only irrelevant photos and links to state media reports. Searches for “Hong Kong” brought up mainly shopping tips and restaurant reviews.) in the *Guardian*, the Chinese government has [also blocked](http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/29/china-censors-images-hong-kong-protests?ref=hyperallergic.com) mainland television broadcasts of the Hong Kong unrest; searches for protest hashtags on [Sina Weibo](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sina%5FWeibo?ref=hyperallergic.com), the country’s largest micro-blogging platform, allegedly turn up only irrelevant results, with some users claiming their accounts have been deleted over Hong Kong content. The protests followed Beijing’s decision last month to [limit proposed voting reforms](http://www.businessinsider.com/afp-hong-kong-activists-in-fightback-after-china-vote-decision-2014-9?ref=hyperallergic.com) that would allow Hong Kong citizens to freely elect their next leader. As many as 80,000 demonstrators thronged Hong Kong’s central business district, holding umbrellas and sporting goggles to protect against tear gas. The Chinese government [responded](http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/29/world/asia/china-hong-kong-protests/index.html?c=homepage-t&ref=hyperallergic.com) with tear gas, pepper spray, and beatings. More than 40 people were injured. Here’s a glimpse at the demonstrations from Instagram: ![China revolution 6](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2014/09/china-revolution-6.jpg) (image via caranguejo1216/Instagram) ![China revolution 8](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2014/09/china-revolution-8.jpg) (image via antdhk/Instagram) ![China revolution 7](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2014/09/china-revolution-7.jpg) (image via antdhk/Instagram) ![OccupyCentral](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2014/09/occupycentral.jpg) (image via andy0729/Instagram) ![China revolution 4](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2014/09/china-revolution-41.jpg) (image via mikelaisgirl/Instagram) ![OccupyCentral2](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2014/09/occupycentral2.jpg) (image via lungchai625/Instagram) ![China revolution 10](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2014/09/china-revolution-10.jpg) (image via antdhk/Instagram) ![China revolution 9](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2014/09/china-revolution-9.jpg) (image via antdhk/Instagram) ![China revolution 12](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2014/09/china-revolution-12.jpg) (image via antdhk/Instagram) ![China revolution 11](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2014/09/china-revolution-11.jpg) (image via antdhk/Instagram) ![China revolution 3](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2014/09/china-revolution-3.jpg) (image via kyle\_yu/Instagram) ![China revolution 13](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2014/09/china-revolution-13.jpg) (image via antdhk/Instagram)