In 2016, a young Baggio Leung was elected to the Hong Kong Legislature on a Pro-democracy platform.  After modifying the oath of office during his swearing in, he was expelled from the body shortly thereafter.  His advocacy became a thorn in the side of the Chinese Communist Party.  Baggio was imprisoned, followed, and ultimately left HK to seek asylum in the U.S. in December 2020. 

Along with his fellow activist Daniel Wong, Baggio takes us into the heart of a city that has gone from beacon of freedom to repressed metropolis in the span of 20 years. In this episode, we discuss:

+What running an election as a pro-democracy candidate is like in modern day Hong Kong

+How the 2019 Extradition Law launched a wave of protests in Hong Kong

+What the personal cost of being a pro-democracy activist is under the rule of the Chinese Communist Party

+What true authoritarianism looks like on the ground...and how America remains a beacon of hope despite our deep partisanship