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What sparked the Hong Kong protests in 2019?

Credit: Amnesty International

Introduction
Student marches, strikes, tear gas and rubber pellets were all a part of the protest that began in Hong Kong in March of 2019 when the Fugitive Offenders and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Legislation (Amendment) Bill 2019 passed and was put into place. The bill was very quickly seen as a complete impeachment of Hong Kong’s internal sovereignty. Mass protests ensued for months against the bill which escalated into protests against the government itself and most importantly their use of force on the citizens. 
History
Hong Kong is a former British colony that was handed back to China in 1997 on a ‘one country two systems agreement’ that made it a Special Administrative Region in the People’s Republic of China. This allows them their own borders and judiciary system that is separate from Mainland China along with freedom of assembly and freedom of speech. The pre-existing tension between the two nations was brought to a new high with the bill. 
Thousands of people took to protest through social media, labour and school strikes, mass rallies, and petitions. The protests quickly escalated by becoming violent which was met with counter attacks of tear gas and rubber bullets by the police which only further aggravated the issue with ‘radical protestors’ throwing bricks and corrosive projectiles at the police. The continuous protests from the people of Hong Kong threatened the nation’s sovereignty to the extent that the bill was announced to be “dead”  on July 9th by Carrie Lam. 
What began as a protest against the extradition bill quickly turned into a protest against authority and police brutality which triggered a new wave of angst and dissatisfaction from the citizens of Hong Kong. 
The Opinions
According to the protestors, the police brutality against them was the major concern regardless of the bill being rescinded. The protestors of Hong Kong want 5 things - protestors not to be characterised as a "riot", amnesty for arrested protestors, an independent inquiry into alleged police brutality and an implementation of complete universal suffrage. Hong Kong activists even tried to bring up the issue at the G20 summit amidst warnings from Beijing against it. The people are worried that if Mainland China gets full control of Hong Kong, everyone becomes a target for the government due to the contrasting views to China’s communist principles.  
The Chinese Government have expressed their opposition to the protests while depicting them as sepeatist rioters. The Beijing government and state-run media are also accusing foreign forces of interfering with domestic affairs by supporting the protesters and escalating the issue by only covering the protests in Hong Kong when it's also taking pace around the world in Catalonia and Chile. Chinese media are also blaming the protests on Hong Kong’s education system. 
Internationally, there have been many responses to the issue. Demonstrations and protests have been taking place all over the world. Additionally, the United States House of Representatives passed the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act. and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, demanded that the Hong Kong government conduct an investigation into police use of force against the protesters. 
The Conclusion
The entire situation is seen by many as China’s persistence in controlling and stripping Hong Kong of its autonomy due to their need and greed for economic power considering Hong Kong’s powerful economic status. While some view this purely as a political conflict, others understand it to be one that is also affecting the economy and society. A survey from the University of Hong Kong shows that 89% of people would identify themselves as Hong Kongers and not Chinese. This reflects how the people have a large impact in influencing the political affairs of a nation especially when their sovereignty, freedom and privacy are brought into question. Protests still continue till today, as the people of Hong Kong want democratic reforms as a whole.

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