Chinese media trumpets 'defeat' of Hong Kong's umbrella revolution

A day after police cleared the last major protest camp in Admiralty District in Hong Kong, state-run media published editorials announcing the end of the so-called "Umbrella Revolution."
"The successful clearing operation officially spelled defeat for the "umbrella revolution" - the Hong Kong version of the "color revolution"," trumpeted an editorial in China Daily entitled "'Umbrella Revolution' Defeated"."The defeat of the "umbrella revolution" has also sent a clear message to hostile forces - both local and overseas: On matters of principle, the central government will never make any concessions."
The editorial accused the protesters of being "political schemers" who were trying to advance malicious outside political agendas, saying "the political adventure, supported by outside forces that have been scheming to counter the rise of China, went against the overall interests of Hong Kong society and the nation - as well as the will of Hong Kong residents."
Another editorial by Global Times took a firm stance against the act of protesting, saying that protesting is bad for political stability and economic development: "Street politics can easily ravage a society and are addictive to some members of the public… We firmly oppose the notion that society can be overhauled through street violence. This is a key political principle."
The Umbrella Revolution movement started roughly three months ago when student activists boycotted classes on September 22nd and gathered outside city government offices five days later. By September 28th, the protest mushroomed into a massive "Occupy Central" demonstration that flooded downtown Hong Kong, complete with tear gas, riot gear, and tens of thousands of demonstrators from all walks of live.
Eager to avoid a rerun of the 1989 Tian'anmen Square protests in Beijing, which ended in a military crackdown that killed hundreds to thousands of people, the Chinese government sought to contain the protests while avoiding major violence that could invite international criticism or escalate tensions at home.
Chinese media reflected the government's tactic of avoiding violence; Global Times emphasized that "The clearance in general went smoothly and peacefully. A number of protesters were arrested without resistance."
The Chinese media also took pains to portray the protest as being illegal and detrimental to the interests of Hong Kong, and the camp clearings as fairly upholding the "rule of law": "The "Occupy" movement has inflicted great damage on the Special Administrative Region. Aside from causing huge economic losses, it has also torn the SAR's social fabric apart. Even worse, it has attacked established beliefs about the rule of law - one of the cornerstones of the city's stability and prosperity," said China Daily, while Global Times claimed that "Hong Kong has safeguarded the bottom line of the rule of law."
The demonstrators were protesting against a lack of open nominations in the upcoming 2017 elections for Chief Executive - Hong Kong's top government post. The Chinese government allows semi-autonomous elections in Hong Kong along the lines of the "One Country, Two Systems" principle, but restricts nominations for Chief Executive to candidates prescreened and approved by Beijing.