Dozens of civil society groups were disbanded. Apple Daily and Stand News, news outlets known for their critical reports of the government, were forced to shut down after the arrests of their top management.
Activist Raphael Wong, who was jailed over his role during the 2014 protests told The Associated Press Saturday he misses Leung, Tai and other political activists who were prosecuted.
The protests 10 years ago, Wong said, held immense significance for him and Hong Kong.
“If I have to put it in the simplest terms, I’d say it enlightened many Hong Kong people about civil disobedience and inspired the later anti-extradition bill movement in 2019,” he said.
While large-scale public commemorations are unlikely to occur in the city, some overseas-based Hong Kongers organized events to remember the movement in Britain, Canada, Taiwan, Australia and the Netherlands this month. Others recounted their memories of the protests on social media.
China-endorsed Hong Kong Secretary for Security Chris Tang on Thursday rejected that the city’s freedoms have shrunk over the past decade, insisting that the city’s 2020 security law and a new security law enacted in March provide sufficient safeguard for human rights.
