Hong Kong Protesters, the Frontline Fighters
Their demonstrations, ongoing for six months, have by their count at times involved almost 2 million people.
The origins of the chaos are clear: Earlier this year, Hong Kong’s government proposed an extradition bill that critics feared would have let anyone in the city of 7.4 million residents be swept up in China’s opaque legal system. A leaderless protest movement, organized in online forums, took to the streets for largely peaceful rallies, deploying umbrellas as a shield from police in riot gear.
Although the extradition bill was ultimately withdrawn, the protesters expanded their demands to include greater democratic accountability. And when Hong Kong’s Beijing-backed government ruled out further concessions, relentless clashes sent the financial hub into an economic tailspin. The government is forecasting the first annual recession in a decade, with gross domestic product contracting 1.3% from 2018.