BEIJING – Protesters in Hong Kong got its government to withdraw extradition legislation last year, but now they’re getting a more dreaded national security law.
And the message from Beijing is: Protest is futile. One year ago Friday, protesters took over streets and blocked the legislature, preventing lawmakers from starting debate on the extradition bill.
The youthful crowd clashed with police, who deployed tear gas and pepper spray in a portent of the months of protest that lay ahead.Thousand of rounds of tear gas later, the movement has been quieted — in part by the coronavirus — but the anger has only grown.
In its wake, the polarization has deepened between the city's disenchanted youth and its government. And the resolve of the.