Summary

Flights were suspended for a second day at Hong Kong’s international airport on Tuesday, as protesters came out in droves to shut down the regional transport hub.

Now two months after the first mass protests on June 9 and the political situation appears intractable as ever. Carrie Lam has suspended the controversial extradition bill that initially triggered the protests, but has not withdrawn it entirely. And there’s even a question whether the bill’s withdrawal would calm the situation given that the protest movement has unleashed other questions regarding the viability of Hong Kong’s democratic autonomy within China’s one-party system. On the other side of the border, Beijing has been signaling that it won’t remain a passive player for much longer.

The Hong Kong crisis appears headed toward the endgame, and it’s one that doesn’t look entirely favorable to the protesters.