THE DAY began with an official celebration of the return of Hong Kong to China on July 1st. It ended in the ransacking of a government building and tear gas. The televised chaos, including scenes of protesters violently smashing their way into and trashing the Legislative Council building, where some displayed the British and colonial-era flags, represent the latest test for Carrie Lam, the chief executive of Hong Kong, and for Xi Jinping, her ultimate boss in Beijing.
A wave of massive protests in recent weeks has left them searching for how best to respond to the demands of citizens of Hong Kong, who fear that their freedoms are being whittled away under Chinese rule. Opposition has been galvanised, in particular, by a bill that would make it possible for people accused of crimes in mainland China to be sent there to face trial.
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