The protests in Hong Kong have reached a convulsive new peak. Saturday’s demonstrations, the New York Times reported, saw “the most intense clashes since protests over the city’s fate began in June.” On Tuesday, it carried the striking headline “Hong Kong Students Begin School Year With Gas Masks, Class Boycotts and Protests,” while the Chinese government’s mouthpiece warned “the end is coming for those attempting to disrupt Hong Kong and antagonize China.” And just hours ago, in a significant concession to protesters, Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam announced she would withdraw the extradition bill that set off the initial protests (and which critics decry as an attack on civil liberties).

The rolling protests are at once a testament to the inventiveness of protesters and a threat to the Hong Kong government, headed by the Beijing-backed Lam. As the Chinese government works to shore up its rule at home and its rise globally, the Hong Kong crisis has assumed outsized significance, eclipsing the local political dynamics.

Here’s where things stand.