Hong Kong's civil unrest: What's driving today's protests?

Waves of sometimes violent protests haveswept across Hong Kong this year, triggered initially by the introduction of an extradition bill that residents see as China's latest attempt to erodetheir political freedoms.

So how did things get this bad? CBCNews explains.

Why are there tensions?

Hong Kong, a major Asian commercial hub, returned to China in 1997 after 156 years of British rule.

That transfer of power on July 1, 1997 known as "the handover" came with certain conditions designed to guarantee Hong Hong"a high degree of autonomy."

Under the "one country, two systems" principle, Hong Kong is considered a Special Administrative Region of China and maintains an independent legislative system and a legal system based on British common law that should guarantee property rights and a fair trial in criminal cases. But Hong Kongers have long accused Beijing of encroaching on this autonomy since the handover, spurring protests and unrest.

An extradition bill proposed by the the Hong Kong government this year triggered the latest wave of demonstrations that began back in late April, which have gradually grown violent as protesters make broader democratic demands.

What is the extradition bill?

The controversial extradition billwas proposed on April 3, ostensibly as a response to the Hong Kong government's inability to extradite a Hong Kong man to Taiwan after he allegedly killed his girlfriend on a trip there. But proposed amendments to the bill would alsoallowHong Kong to send people to the mainland to face charges.

Critics contend that defendants extradited to mainland China may not have access to a fair trial in the judicial system thereand that Beijing could also use the law to crack down on Hong Kong dissidents.

Intense proteststhen followed on June 9as hundreds of thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators were joined by civil servants and others, including business professionals. The bill was declared "dead' as of last month by Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam but she didn't withdraw it, andprotests have continued.

Who is the Hong Kongleader?

Lam is Hong Kong's chief executivea position selected by a 1,200-member committee, with seventy membersbelonging to the Hong Kong legislature and the rest representing different sectors like business andagriculture.

Observers say Beijing heavily lobbies in favour of a particular candidate ahead of an election. Many see the process as undemocratic, as it isunfairly weighted toward representatives in business and trade, who commonly vote in accordance with the wishes of Beijing.

As Beijing's choice,Lam landed the job in 2017despite trailing runner-up John Tsang in public opinion polls. She's the first woman to lead Hong Kong, but many viewher as Beijing's puppet.

Protesters have called forher resignationin light of her introduction of the extradition bill.

Lam said last month that the bill has failed but has refusedto withdraw it completely, leading to accusations that she's simply stalling for another chance to ramit through.

How might China respond?

Beijinghas labelled the latest protests an "existential threat"to Hong Kong and anact of "terrorism" after localauthoritiesshut down the city's international airport on both Monday and Tuesday due to continuous demonstrations.

China's military the People's Liberation Army has a garrison of 6,000 soldiers in Hong Kong. Lam has the authority torequest their help to "maintain social order."

If this happens, manyfeara repeat of the 1989 Tiananmen Square incident,where the armycracked down violently on democratic protesters in Beijing. China has never disclosed how many people died in the clashes but human rightsorganizations have estimated the death toll to be between several hundred to several thousand.

Additionally, members of China's paramilitary People's Armed Police (PAP) recently marched and practised crowd control tactics at a sports complex in Shenzhen a Chinese city located across the border from Hong Kong on Friday in what some interpreted as a threat against theprotesters.

What do protesters now want?

The core demands of the protests arefor the extradition bill to becompletely withdrawnand for Lam to resign.

But violent clashes have also prompted calls for investigations intopolice brutality andpossible involvement by organized crimein beating back demonstrations.

The protests have also beenan opportunity for a general airingof grievances against Beijingincluding calls for democratic elections fuelled by broader worries about the erosion of freedoms guaranteed under the "one-country, two-systems" formula.