Hong Kong's democracy movement was crushed in 2020. But the spirit of resistance survives | Jessie Lau

Returning home, I found a broken city. Yet solidarity persists, under the most stringent conditions and amid palpable fear

Check out that security guard," Alex said, nodding to my left.

Alex (not his real name) is a protester in his early 20s, and I was meeting him for coffee at the only yellow" pro-democracy cafe in New Town Plaza, Hong Kong, a once quiet shopping mall in my home district that last year became a battleground in massive anti-government protests. I turned to look: sure enough, there was a guard standing to the side of the main square, staring out into the crowd. I hadn't noticed him before. Now I can't help but catch him in the corner of my eye every time I pass through.