
Young people in Hong Kong have been at the forefront of violent protests over a proposed extradition law that have shaken the city and angered Beijing.

At the root of the protests is concern over what many people see as the inexorable erosion of civil liberties and the city's autonomy by an ever-meddling Beijing, that refuses to grant full democracy in the former British colony.

But many young people in one of the world's most densely populated and expensive cities are also infuriated by sky-high living costs, and a feeling that a home of one's own is just a dream.

Reuters spoke to 11 young people in their tiny bedrooms in their parents' homes about their political concerns and frustrations about life in the Chinese-ruled city.

Left: Eunice Wai lives with her parents and a brother.

Right: Laundry hangs out to dry in a residential apartment complex.

Left: Fung Cheng in his five square metre bedroom.

Right: Residential apartment blocks.

Michael Ho inherited his sister's room, took down the wall separating them and now has a 11 sq meter room. Michael Ho, a bespectacled 24-year-old graduate who also lives with his parents, said the protests were also about unjust circumstances that prevent young people living their dreams. "It's just hopeless for young people to grow, to develop their career because of the pricing problem," Ho said. On average, people seeking public housing in the city of 7.4 million people have to wait 5.5 years. The average living space is 40 square metres (430 square feet).

Left: Roy Lam, posing in his 7 sq metre bedroom, said: "We rather lose standing up than lose sitting down."

Right: Pipes on the outside wall of a residential apartment block.

Story Roy Lam, who lives with his mother and four sisters, said young people were determined to stand up for what they deserved but it was hard to stay positive. "We do also sometimes think 'let's just give up, let's just move to someplace else'."