Hong Kong is facing a major political crisis amid repeated street protests and mass demonstrations.

This protest began when the Hong Kong government proposed the Fugitive Offenders amendment bill. If this bill passes, it will allow Hong Kong’s chief executive, Carrie Lam, to extradite criminal fugitives who are wanted in territories that Hong Kong does not have extradition agreements with, including Taiwan and mainland China.

Concerns were raised about the bill because it would place HongKong citizens and visitors under mainland China jurisdiction, undermining the autonomy of the region, and people’s rights and freedom.

To appease the pro-democracy lawmakers, proponents of the bill made some modifications. However, opponents of the bill want it to be withdrawn altogether. On June 9, almost a million people staged a peaceful protest to persuade Lam not to push the bill through Hong Kong’s legislature.

Unable to convince her, they staged another protest near the government offices on June 12 to delay the debate that would have expedited the bill’s approval. The protest turned violent, with police firing rubber bullets, tear gas, and bean bags at the protestors; they even arrested a few.

Soon after, Lam announced her decision to “indefinitely suspend” the proposal. However, the announcement, viewed by most as a delay tactic, only led to more unrest. Since then, there have been weekly demonstrations across Hong Kong.

While the retraction of the extradition bill remains a priority, the violent June 12 encounter with the police has led to additional demands. The residents want officials to stop labeling the demonstrators as “rioters.” They are also seeking amnesty for the residents who have been arrested under the law and want the government to start an investigation into police abuse. Most importantly, they want Lam to resign and have the right to choose Hong Kong’s leader in a democratic election.

While mainland China ignored the protests, that has changed as the demonstrations continue to intensify. Since Aug. 13, thousands of paramilitary police have been positioned in the city of Shenzhen, ready to silence the protestors’ actions.

Experts are still divided about whether the Beijing government will take the drastic measure of sending troops across the border.

Some believed they would show their power before Oct. 1, which marked the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Others thought they would show restraint, given the world’s attention to the unrest and Hong Kong’s status as an international financial hub.

Science teacher Lauren Upadhyaya, who was in Hong Kong during the start of the protest said, “Unfortunately, I think eventually they will use whatever force to crush down the protests. It’s hard to say. I think this obviously could affect the global economy. Hong Kong really links the East and West markets and losing it to China will lose the democratic capital, and it will be detrimental to the global economy. This has been building up for the last couple of years, since 2014.”