The Hong Kong Protests – Why?

by | 8th October 2020 | Democracy, International Relations, Politics

In June 2019, two record-breaking sized protests gripped the streets of Hong Kong over the reading of the extradition bill. Why did this bill trigger an unprecedented response from the public? The author argues that ‘people in Hong Kong see their protected freedoms of speech, assembly and press, as well as the rule of law, being eroded. While tensions were escalated using petrol bombs, lasers, metal weapons, and tear gas, he argues that the true factor intensifying the protests is ‘the continual struggle for a more competitive and responsive government’ within the one country two systems framework.