Hong Kong Protests and China’s Tightening Grip Rattle Business Community

Anti-extradition bill protesters wearing helmets gather outside the Legislative Council building on the anniversary of Hong Kong's handover to China in Hong Kong, China on July 1, 2019. Tyrone Siu/Reuters

HONG KONG—Chaotic scenes of protesters rampaging through Hong Kong’s legislature, trashing furniture and daubing graffiti over walls have sent jitters through the business community, which worries about the impact on the city’s status as a financial hub.

Plumes of smoke billowed among gleaming sky-scrapers early on July 3 as police fired tear gas to disperse protesters in the heart of the Chinese-ruled city, home to the offices of some of the world’s biggest companies, including global bank HSBC.