In just a year and a half, China has effectively brought Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement to a dead end.
Almost all of the major groups advocating for meaningful elections and freedom of expression have disbanded, while this weekend’s vote for the Legislative Council — the first under China’s new rules — will feature only Beijing-vetted candidates.
Activists continue to seek new tactics, but the options are increasingly limited. Overseas activism, online petitions and demonstrations so small that campaigners are often outnumbered by the watching police: It’s all a long way from the historic mass protests that brought hundreds of thousands of people onto the streets in 2019.