In late May, a week after Chinese officials announced a plan to impose a sweeping national security law on Hong Kong, the Guardian issued
a callout to people who believed they would be affected. We wanted to hear how people felt about the law, how it might change their lives, and how they felt about the last year of protests. The response was overwhelming. Within days we had received more than 30,000 messages from people inside and outside
Hong Kong – the most for any Guardian community callout.
After the law
came into force this week, the contributions continued to pour in. People have expressed fury, frustration and a sense of hopelessness; they oppose the law but have no recourse to stop it. Many asked the international community for help. Others mourned the end of a city they loved and lashed out at China’s Communist party. Some said they welcomed the law, hoping for an end to the months of protests that at times turned violent.
Here are a few of the messages we received.
