After a summer and an autumn of fights inside Parliament, where one person was injured, where poop water was thrown, and where four of the Members were arrested, and after the debates in Parliament degenerated into long harangues of repetitions when Members do not consider themselves able prevent bills other than delaying the decision-making process - now all remaining democratic politicians in Hong Kong's parliament are finally resigning.
The drop was that China's parliament, the People's Congress, enacted a law that allows Hong Kong's leaders to oust parliamentarians directly, without trial, based on the comprehensive security law that has been in place in Hong Kong since July.
Hong Kong leaders immediately fired four parliamentarians.
The democratic parties in Hong Kong are the parties in parliament (Legco) that want to introduce liberal democracy in Hong Kong.
The other parties are called "Beijing loyalists".
As far as Hong Kong's parliament is concerned, therefore, no one cares about a right-left scale, only what they think of free and general elections in Hong Kong.
Criticized team went through
One of those resigning now is Jeremy Tam, a former pilot, who was hoarse when SVT met him in the rain in Victoria park more than a year ago.
He stood and shouted in a megaphone the day when the demonstrations in Hong Kong were at their greatest.
Jeremy Tam had been instrumental in criticizing what was then a proposal for a national anthem, which makes it illegal not to respect the Chinese national anthem.
His most important point there in the rain in Victoria Park more than a year ago was that the law was not legally certain according to him.
"Who can judge that I have not respected the national anthem?"
he asked rhetorically.
The National Anthem Act passed last summer.
And a few days ago, last Thursday, a phone line opened urging people to report anyone who has violated Hong Kong's security law.
A kind of hotline, where the informant is completely anonymous.
"Seen on the streets"
"Legal security" has become a popular term among representatives of China's Hong Kong policy.
It was heard several times at today's press conference with Hong Kong's Prime Minister Carrie Lam, for example.
Just as in English, the rule of law is called "rule by law" in Chinese.
And the law in this case is the new security law.
And since the decision to exclude four members is made under the Security Act, the process is by definition legally secure, according to Prime Minister Carrie Lam.
Another term that seems to lose its meaning each time it is used is "One country two system", the name of the popular policy of an independent Hong Kong in China.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry said today that the new law complements and guarantees the continuation of "One country two systems".
At their press conference, however, the outgoing parliamentarians said that this is the definitive end of "One country two systems".
The now former parliamentarian Jeremy Tam said goodbye through a picture on his Instagram today.
He stands in black clothes in front of a row of policemen with transparent riot shields.
(In all likelihood taken at last year's protests.) He looks grim and looks at the horizon.
The caption is: "See you on the streets!".