One of the last major pro -depocitic parties in Hong Kong

On the wall of the service of the League of Social Democrats, Chinese freedom heroes are written with judicial fittings.

Party members alternate, speaking in a speaker microphone. They stand in front of a banner that reads “more ash more than a dust” written in Chinese. Founded nearly 20 years, the party is known as the last protest group in Hong Kong.

“The red lines are already everywhere,” Chan says in Ing, chairman of the party, tells the BBC.

“Our decision to dissolve was because we are facing great pressure.”

She added that everything in Hong Kong has become politicized and has not been able to get into more details to develop the reasons.

The party is the third major opposition party to dissolve this year in Hong Kong. The group, known for its street protests, said it had made the decision after “careful discussion” and avoid the “consequences” for its members.

The dissolution message comes just days before the fifth anniversary of Beijing the National Security Act. The party said it could not develop time to close it, but said it faced “intense pressure”.

“During these 19 years, we have endured difficulties in the internal disputes and the almost total prison of our leadership, while witnessing the erosion of civil society, the fading of voice voices, the ubiquitous red lines and the dragon’s disagreement,” the statement said.

Authorities said the National Security Act was necessary to restore the order after a year of frequently violent protests in 2019. But five years on, critics say it was used to dismantle political opposition.

In June, a Chinese employee claims that hostile forces are still interfering with the city.

“We should clearly see that the elements of the chaos of Antiko and Hong Kong are still ruthless and renew different forms of soft resistance,” says Xia Baolong in speech.

The National Security Act criminalizes allegations as support. In 2024, Hong Kong adopted an internal national security law known as Article 23, criminalized crimes such as a sediment and betrayal. Today, the bigger part of Hong Kong’s political opposition either fled the territory or have been detained.

“I think it’s no longer safe to actually hold a political party. I think political rights have almost completely gone to Hong Kong,” Deputy Chairman Dickson Chau told the BBC.

On June 12, three members were fined by the magistrates court to hang a flag on a street cabin while raising money from the public without permission.

Critics say opposition groups face political persecution. Chau says the party’s bank accounts have been closed in 2023. In the last five years, six party members have been imprisoned.

“A place without a meaningful political party, then people will sooner or later forget how strong they will be if they can be grouped together and express a collective way,” Chau said.

“If I do nothing, then why am I here in Hong Kong?”

He said that even if he was not politically active, he feared that he could still be the goal of the police and was under pressure to leave Hong Kong by the authorities.

“The future is very difficult as a citizen. If you want to exercise your right as a citizen, it is very difficult. Not only for politics or activist, even ordinary people have to think twice,” Chau said.

“This is a dilemma that I didn’t expect to face in Hong Kong that he was just an activist,” he added.