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19h ago

Hong Kong’s Last Street-Protest Pro-Democracy Party Dissolves Under Political Pressure

The League of Social Democrats’ shutdown completes the erasure of formal pro-democracy groups following Beijing’s sweeping security laws.

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Reporters photograph the press conference where Chan Po-ying, chair of Hong Kong’s League of Social Democrats, along with party members Jimmy Sham, Raphael Wong, and Figo Chan, announces the party’s dissolution amid China’s national security law, in Hong Kong, China, June 29, 2025. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu
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Overview

  • The League of Social Democrats voted unanimously on June 29 to disband after citing relentless political pressure and threats to member safety.
  • Leaders blamed the 2020 national security law and 2024 Article 23 measures for criminalizing core protest tactics and undermining grassroots organizing.
  • The LSD closure follows the Civic Party’s 2023 dissolution and the Democratic Party’s early-2025 wind-down, leaving Hong Kong without any formal pro-democracy parties.
  • Despite holding small street protests and booth events, the party faced frozen bank accounts, fines and the near-total imprisonment of its leadership.
  • Key figures such as founder Leung Kwok-hung remain jailed on subversion charges while activist Jimmy Sham was released last month after serving over four years in prison.