Hong Kong’s prominent pro-democracy party to disband

THE Civic Party, one of Hong Kong’s most prominent pro-democracy groups, voted today to disband due to a leadership vacuum, after its members were squeezed out of local councils and charged under Beijing’s national security law.   

Nicknamed “the barristers’ party”, it was founded in 2006 by professional elites – mostly from the legal sector – who wanted to promote democratisation and civil society in Hong Kong.