Hong Kong government silences critics after fire, as elections loom

The suppression campaign shows how the Hong Kong government is using Beijing’s playbook to respond to crises that could mobilize large groups of aggrieved people.
December 6, 2025 at 5:00 a.m. ESTToday at 5:00 a.m. EST
First came the fire. Then came the political crackdown.
In the week and a half since a deadly blaze swept through several high-rise buildings in Hong Kong — killing more than 150 people — the Beijing-backed government has worked to squash public calls for accountability and tamp down discussion of the tragedy.