Hong Kong on Saturday marked the 20-year anniversary of the city-state's 1997 transfer of sovereignty from the United Kingdom to China, a handover that effectively marked the end of the British Empire.
Tens of thousands of residents turned out for an annual pro-democracy march critiquing Beijing's creeping control over internal city affairs, which are semi-autonomous thanks to a "one country, two systems" arrangement. "I don't understand politics, and don't really want to comment on it," said one marcher. "But how can I not come out, seeing my beloved city shrinking in terms of freedom of speech?"
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