Beijing approves Hong Kong national security law

Twenty-three years after the Chinese government pledged to give Hong Kong 50 years of autonomy, the mainland has stripped the former British colony of its freedoms by passing a contentious law that would quash dissent. Rather than going through the Hong Kong legislature, Beijing took matters into its own hands after last year’s widespread anti-government protests. The Chinese government first endorsed the law, which criminalizes subversive and secessionist activities, at its annual congress last month.

How have activists responded? Some called on Hong Kong residents to turn out for the annual July 1 protest on Wednesday, which officials banned this year. The pro-democracy group Demosistō disbanded after founding members Joshua Wong, Nathan Law, Jeffery Ngo, and Agnes Chow quit over fears of the new law. Hong Kong National Front, a political party advocating the territory’s independence, disbanded its local office and said its divisions in Taiwan and the U.K. will continue its work.

Dig deeper: Read June Cheng’s report on the U.S. response to the increased clampdown on Hong Kong.