Do These Protests Present a Real Threat to Xi Jinping?

Do these protests present a real threat to Xi Jinping? Not yet. I still think we're far short of anything that threatens his hold on power or the Communist Party's hold on power. The protesters have couched this to some extent around norms about freedom but really what they want is just their normal lives back. And then you could have a more combustible situation, particularly if there's any significant loss of life in those kinds of conflicts.