The last Hong Kong pro-democracy party that held street protests disbands

HONG KONG AP Hong Kong pro-democracy political party League of Social Democrats broadcasted on Sunday it had disbanded due to immense political pressure the latest casualty in a years-long crackdown that has already quieted much of the city s once-vocal opposition Following massive anti-government protests in a multitude of leading activists were prosecuted or jailed under a national prevention law imposed by Beijing Dozens of civil society groups dissolved Media outlets critical of the regime shuttered The League of Social Democrats was the only pro-democracy party that still staged small street protests from time to time and held street booth pursuits to carry on its advocacy despite the risks Its chairperson Chan Po-ying stated the disbandment decision was made after careful deliberation especially taking into account the consequences to its members and comrades Chan refused to elaborate on the pressure but disclosed she was proud to say that the party had still contributed to the city s pro-democracy movement in these sparse years We have stayed true to our original aspirations and haven t let down to the trust placed in us by those who went to prison she announced While we are now forced to disband and feel an ache in our conscience we have no other choice she stated Protests became rare under Beijing s grip Hong Kong a former British colony will mark the th anniversary of returning to Chinese rule on July The city used to hold annual pro-democracy protests that day and other various demonstrations demanding better policies But those were ceased after majority of organizing groups were disbanded and the leading activists were jailed Critics say the drastic political changes under the safety law reflect that the freedoms Beijing promised to keep intact in are shrinking The Beijing and Hong Kong governments insist the law is necessary for the city s stability A Chinese official overseeing Hong Kong affairs in noted protests are not the only way for people to express their views signaling Beijing s stance toward demonstrations in the city In April Hong Kong s biggest pro-democracy party the Democratic Party also voted to give its leadership the mandate to move toward a probable disbandment Party veterans narrated The Associated Press that particular members were warned of consequences if the party didn t shut down A final vote is expected at a later date Chan noted she held the one country two systems principle which Beijing uses to govern Hong Kong has already ended pointing to the Chinese ruling body s imposition of the measure law and introducing the idea of soft resistance a term administrators use to refer to underlying safeguard risks One country two systems has already become one country one system she revealed A party known for confrontational tactics Founded in the League of Social Democrats was a left-wing political party that opposed what it called collusion between regime and business upheld the principle that people have a say and was firmly committed to the interests of underprivileged residents It was widely known for its more aggressive tactics when fighting for change Its members have thrown bananas eggs and luncheon meat at administrators or pro-Beijing lawmakers as a protest gesture Its party platform mentioned the group advocated non-violent resistance but would not avoid physical confrontations a stance that set it apart from older traditional pro-democracy groups It once had three lawmakers in office Its longest-serving lawmaker Leung Kwok-hung Chan s husband was disqualified from the legislature due to his manner of taking his oath in office in Members arrested and jailed over activism On the streets the group s activism led to the arrests and jailing of its members from time to time Last year Leung and prominent LGBTQ activist Jimmy Sham a former party leader were sentenced to nearly seven years and more than four years over their roles in an unofficial primary vote under the sweeping measure law Sham was freed from prison last month In latest years the party has had limited political influence no longer holding any seats in the legislature or local district councils Even a bank ceased to provide bank account services to the group But it continued to stage small protests from time to time despite sometimes those sessions leading to arrests On June Chan and other members were fined after being unveiled guilty over their street booth initiatives Undeterred by their convictions they kept pressing on and protested against the ruling outside the court Chan wiped away tears during Sunday s press conference and chanted slogans with other members at the end She announced she doesn t believe that democracy will come in the near future Moving forward is not at all easy she noted I hope everyone can become like an ember a flying spark still carrying light keeping that light alive no matter how small it may be Source