On the wall of the League of Social Democrats Office, Chinese characters are written with admission slip in court for freedom.

Party members speak on a loudspeaker connected microphone. They stand in front of a banner that reads in Chinese “but should be ashes from dust”. Around 20 years ago, the party is known as the final protest group in Hong Kong.

Party President Chan Pa Ying told the BBC, “Red lines are now everywhere.”

“Our decision to disintegrate was because we were facing a lot of pressure.”

He said that everything in Hong Kong has become political, and he was not in a position to go into more detail to expand the reasons.

The party is the third major opposition party to dissolve in Hong Kong this year. The group, known for its road protests, said it has decided after “careful thoughts” and to avoid “results” for its members.

The announcement to dissolve is a few days before the fifth anniversary of the Beijing-Laga National Security Act. The party said that it could not explain in detail about its closure, but said it had to face “rapid pressure”.

“In these 19 years, we have tolerated the difficulties of internal controversies and close imprisonment to our leadership, while the erosion of the civic society, the disappearance of the ground-level voices, the ubiquitous of red lines and the drunken of dissatisfaction, said in a statement,” said in a statement.

Officials said the National Security Act was needed to restore the order after a year of violent protests in 2019. But five years later, critics say it has been used to end political opposition.

In June, a Chinese official claimed that hostile forces were still interfering in the city.

Zia Belong said in a speech, “We should clearly see that the chaos elements of China Anti-China and Hong Kong are still ruthless and are renewing various forms of soft resistance.”

The National Security Act gives a crime to allegations like sabotage. In 2024 Hong Kong passed a domestic national security law, known as Article 23, criminalizing crimes such as sedition and treason. Today most of Hong Kong’s political opposition has either fled the area or has been detained.

“I think it’s not really safe to run a political party. I think political rights have almost gone to Hong Kong,” Vice President Dixon Chow told the BBC.

On June 12, three members were fined by a magistrate court to hang a banner at a street booth, collecting money from the public without permission.

Critics say the opposition groups face political oppression. Chow says the party’s bank accounts were closed in 2023. In the last five years, six party members have been imprisoned.

Chow said, “One place without any meaningful political party, then people will soon or later forget how strong they are going to be if they can group together and make a collective voice,” Chow said.

“If I don’t do anything, why am I here in Hong Kong?”.

He said that even though he was not politically active, he was afraid that he could still target the police and pressurize the authorities to leave Hong Kong.

Chow said, “The future is very difficult as a citizen. It is very difficult if you want to exercise your authority as a citizen. It is very difficult. Not only for politicians or workers, even the common people need to think twice,” said Chow.

He said, “It is a dilemma that I did not expect to face in Hong Kong to be just a worker,” he said.