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Mass protests in Hong Kong used to be a common sight. Hundreds of thousands marched against the rewriting of school textbooks to make them more China friendly in 2012. And two years later, the umbrella protests saw streets blocked for weeks by pro-democracy campaigners.
Hong Kongers might not have had the right to vote, but they definitely felt free to shout about it. But since then, the government has cracked down hard. Politicians have been banned from parliament, and pro-democracy leaders thrown in jail.
On April 28th, tens of thousands took to the streets in the biggest mass protest since 2014. They were speaking out against a law that would allow people from Hong Kong to be extradited to mainland China for the first time. But among the protesters, there was a sense of hopelessness. Not only did people feel powerless to stop the law from being implemented, some said it would make protesting in the future far too risky for ordinary people.
Pro-Beijing politicians say the rule is about plugging gaps in the law that have made Hong Kong a haven for fugitives. However, critics say its real aim is to keep Hong Kongers quiet.
