Hong Kong’s opposition bloc resigned en masse on Wednesday after China moved to disqualify lawmakers who aren’t deemed sufficiently loyal, one of Beijing’s strongest actions yet to quash dissent in the territory.

Fifteen members of the pro-democracy camp in the 70-seat Legislative Council quit following the disqualification of four members under Beijing’s new rules. The announcement was made at a joint briefing, at which the lawmakers held hands and chanted protest slogans including "Hong Kong add oil — together we stand.”

"This move makes it clear that dictatorship has descended on to Hong Kong and that Chinese Communist Party can eradicate all opposing voices in the legislature,” Fernando Cheung, one of the lawmakers, said earlier by phone. "There’s no more separation of powers, no more ‘one country, two systems,’ and therefore no more Hong Kong as we know it.”