This weekend will be crucial for Hong Kong’s future. Unfortunately, I believe it will also be the weekend that finally persuades Beijing to use military force in crushing the protest movement.

The key here is that Beijing now recognizes the protesters will not accept the meager scraps of concessions it offers. Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam’s decision this week to withdraw the extradition bill has failed to cool the protesters’ anger. Those protesters rightly recognize that Lam is simply acting under orders from Beijing. They know that without structural political change to insulate the territory from Beijing’s grip, any commitment is easily reversible. This is no small concern dealing with the Communist Party of China, especially with Xi Jinping sitting atop the throne as a second Mao.