政府修訂《逃犯條例》而引發的示威衝突持續近3個月。立法會議員田北辰8月20日接受港台節目《千禧年代》訪問時表示，示威浪潮不可能一直延續，又引述消息指，10月1日慶祝國慶70周年是中央「死線」，屆時事件必須平息，否則中央會對特首林鄭月娥施壓，方案包括派武警或駐港部隊進駐香港。
他認為，林鄭月娥必須在8月31日前回應部分民間訴求，包括成立獨立調查委員會和宣布撤回修例，讓社會在10月1日前，有1個月時間恢復平靜。
他解釋，以目前中國的強勢及與美國角力的情況，國慶70周年將廣受關注，如在該時刻「鏡頭轉到香港」，「如果到時又有數十萬，一百萬人走出來」，中央無法接受。
8.31前夕，多名社運搞手被襲，警方就反送中運動進行「大追捕」社運活躍人士及泛民議員，禁止遊行集會，間中豪雨，仍未能阻止數十萬市民上街抗議。林鄭政府的強硬政策未見效果，會改用懷柔手段扭轉局勢嗎？
24名民主派立法會議員發出聯署信，致函國家主席習近平，要求北京盡快重啟香港政改。他們形容撤回修例和落實雙普選等是港人強烈和清晰的要求。
The protests triggered by the amendments of the Fugitive Offenders laws are still unabated entering the 12th week.
Pro-Beijng legislator Michael Tien said on 20 August that according to his sources, the central government has set early September as the “deadline,” to calm the situation in Hong Kong before the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China on October 1.
Speaking on an RTHK radio program, Tien said he believes the march planned on August 31 is a “golden opportunity,” and the government should respond to parts of people’s demands, including the establishment of an independent commission of inquiry and the withdrawal of the amendments, so that the society can return to calm one month before October 1.
He said the central government would like the world to focus attention on Beijing and not Hong Kong as National Day draws nearer, and it cannot accept hundreds of thousands of people protesting in Hong Kong.
On the eve of 31 August, a number of activists were attacked. The police conducted a mass arrest of activists and legislative/district councillors. March and rally were banned and the occasional heavy rains did not prevent hundreds of thousands of people from hitting the streets to protest. Carrie Lam’s hard-line policies appeared to be non-effective. Will Lam use a dove approach to reverse the situation?
24 pan-Democrat legislators issued a joint letter to President Xi Jinping asking Beijing to restart Hong Kong’s political reform as soon as possible. They described the withdrawal of amendments and the implementation of elections with genuine suffrage are strong and clear demands of the people of Hong Kong.
