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The announcement came on Sunday, when the party chairperson, Chan Po-Ying, said the group was shutting down after years of shrinking political space and increasing legal risks.
The move comes after years of increased crackdowns on dissent in Hong Kong following huge anti-government demonstrations in 2019. Activists have been jailed and most of the country’s major civil society groups and opposition parties have been dissolved or gone silent since Beijing’s national security law came into effect last year.
“Even though we are powerless to end things abruptly, right now we know we hurt your feelings and have a guilty conscience and that is why we came to this decision,” Chan said with tears in his eyes during a joint press conference. “We’re holding to our original aspirations; we’re not disappointed those who went to prison believe in us.”
Pressure and a Diminished Political Space Years in the Making
Once known for bold, confrontational activism, the League of Social Democrats was formed in 2006. Members frequently resorted to dramatic protest actions — such as pelting officials with objects like bananas or luncheon meat — to highlight what they saw as injustices. The mobs advocated non-violent resistance but were not afraid to be involved in physical clashes.
It once had three legislators, including its best-known member, Leung Kwok-hung — Chan’s husband — who was disqualified from the legislature in 2017. The party failed to survive as a political entity and it lost standing after being completely wiped out in all election bodies in the recent past.
Its leaders, including Leung and its former head, Jimmy Sham, were imprisoned under the national security law. Sham, a prominent LGBTQ+ activist, was recently released from prison after more than four years behind bars.
On June 12 Mr. Chan and other party members were fined for setting up a street booth activity, a key party outreach.
Despite increasing arrests and challenges — including losing bank account access — LSD had continued to stage relatively small demonstrations. But Sunday brought an end to that resistance when Chan bade a tearful farewell to the party’s 18-year struggle.
Symbolic Closing of an Era of Protests in Hong Kong
The disbandment of the youth group occurs as Hong Kong gears up to celebrate the 28th anniversary of its return to Chinese rule on July 1. The city, which used to be home to huge July 1 pro-democracy marches, now has few public protests, with organizing groups disbanded and many leaders locked up.
The Chinese government maintains that the national security law is necessary for maintaining order and stability, but critics say it has, since 1997, undercut the freedoms guaranteed under the “one country, two systems” model. Chan expressed that sentiment, saying the framework was over: “One country, two systems has already (become) one country, one system.”
In April, even the Democratic Party — Hong Kong’s biggest pro-democracy faction — opened discussions on whether to disband after warnings and pressure.
Chan ended with a thought on resiliency. “Going back to normal is not easy at all,” she said. "I hope everyone turns into an ember, a flying spark – carrying light, nurturing light, however small it might be."
