This archive report was first published on 17 August 2019.
As the international finance hub teeters on the brink of crisis, protesters have vowed to continue their demonstrations, which have been met with an increasingly hardline tone from the communist-ruled mainland.
On Tuesday, protesters blocked passengers from boarding flights at the city's airport and later assaulted two men they accused of being Chinese spies, prompting a deluge of damning articles, pictures, and videos from state media.
China's propaganda apparatus seized on the violence, with state media churning out a barrage of criticism, while the United States warned Beijing against sending in troops, which analysts say would be a reputational and economic disaster for China.
Despite the arrests of more than 700 people and eleven consecutive weekends of rallies, protesters remain unbowed, with many calling for democratic rights in the semi-autonomous city.
"The government has yet to respond to a single demand and has escalated force through the police to suppress the people's voices," said Mars, a 25-year-old protester.
"If we don't come out, our future, our next generation will face even more suppression," he added.
On Saturday, thousands of teachers marched through torrential rain in support of the largely youth-led protests, while crowds also gathered for a march in Hung Hom and To Kwa Wan, two harbourside districts popular with mainland tourists.
Police initially banned Saturday's rally but relented after the route was changed, while for Sunday's rally protesters have been permitted to gather in a park but banned from marching through the streets.
As the protests continue, Beijing has turned the screws on Hong Kong's businesses, pressuring them to toe the line and condemn the protesters.
On Friday, Cathay Pacific announced the shock resignation of its CEO Rupert Hogg after the carrier was excoriated by Beijing because some staff supported the pro-democracy protests.
