London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Oct 22, 2025

‘Worst’ of Hong Kong Protests ‘Probably’ Over, Carrie Lam Adviser Says

‘Worst’ of Hong Kong Protests ‘Probably’ Over, Carrie Lam Adviser Says

The worst of Hong Kong’s months-long pro-democracy protests might now be over, a top adviser to Hong Kong’s leader said, as the city experiences a lull in demonstrations after local elections in late November and ahead of the Christmas holiday.

Although occasional, smaller protests are still likely to break out from time to time, large scale confrontations between radical demonstrators and riot police may have tailed off, according to Bernard Chan, convener of Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam’s Executive Council.

“I actually think the worst is probably over,” Chan said in a phone interview Friday. “But I don’t think we’re going to get rid of all the sporadic types of protests. I don’t think it would be over so soon. It may take a little while. But I think the larger scale ones, hopefully, we might not see that -- but who knows.”

At the same time, Chan said Lam’s administration was still unwilling to entertain any of the protesters’ additional demands, including calls to hold an independent commission of inquiry into the unrest.


Landslide Victory

Hong Kong has seen more than six months of increasingly violent protests that began in opposition to a proposed bill allowing extradition to mainland China but expanded to include calls for greater democracy in the former British colony. The unrest has battered the city’s economy and led to a steep drop in tourist arrivals and retail sales.

In recent months, protesters have thrown petrol bombs and fired arrows at riot cops, who have responded by arresting more than 6,000 protesters and firing more than 10,000 tear gas rounds, as well as using rubber bullets and a water cannon.

However, after pro-democracy politicians won a landslide victory against pro-government rivals in recent local elections on Nov. 24, there has been a lull in the scale and frequency of the violence, although there have still been protests.

“With the district council election outcome, maybe some people will be more willing to say, ‘Let’s see what the government can do to change things,’” Chan said. “Maybe they’re hoping that these newly elected members can do the job, rather than go out into the streets.”



Big Confrontations

Still, Chan’s comments differ starkly from the predictions of the city’s pro-democracy opposition, who said a massive, mostly peaceful march on Dec. 8 -- with an estimated 800,000 people -- show that the movement has staying power and will continue protesting in the new year.

“We will soldier on,” opposition lawmaker Claudia Mo told Bloomberg News earlier this month. “This may last for the generations to come.”

In December alone, police have fired tear gas at a large crowd marching on the Kowloon side of the city’s harbor, while some demonstrators blocked roads and set fire to a subway. The city also canceled a New Year’s Eve fireworks show over security concerns, and there are more pro-democracy protests planned leading up to Christmas.

But recent weeks haven’t seen a repeat of the type of violence common throughout the summer and well into November, when Hong Kong protesters regularly shut down parts of the city, engaged in running street battles with police, blocked major arterial roads and congregated behind barricades at fortified university campuses across the city.

“I don’t think we expect them to be completely gone, so they will be there, the question is whether there will be any very big scale type of confrontations,” Chan said. “Maybe not. Though, we just don’t know.“
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
Dutch Government Seizes Chipmaker After U.S. Presses for Removal of Chinese CEO
×