What would happen had the protests not gone radical?
Suppose there existed a spectrum of "protest levels" from which Hongkongers could make a choice. Would it be possible for them to achieve a "perfectly balanced" protest such that: (1) the extradition bill was shelved, and (2) Hong Kong's freedoms and economic advantages were still intact long after the protest had ended?
The original comment in this thread appears to suggest an affirmative answer to this question. In that case, the other side (i.e., the CCP) would be open to negotiations and willing to make compromises. It would not mind "losing face," for it must acknowledge that it was its own bad policy that caused the protest in the first place and that whatever agreement reached was to "right the wrong."
Given the current CCP leadership, would it be able to do the above?