Hong Kong was handed back in 1997 by the British to China, which agreed that for 50 years the city would operate under a different system than the rest of the country. This meant Hong Kong’s capitalist structure and way of life were to remain unchanged. However, many in the city believe Beijing has increasingly encroached on operations there. Growing tensions came to a head when a bill in the city’s legislature was introduced that allowed people from Hong Kong to be sent to China to be tried in the country’s often murky legal system.
Protesters took to the streets in June 2019 – the largest rally was estimated at one million people – to prevent the bill. The movement grew and the protesters began to demand fully democratic elections and some even asked for independence.