TEHRAN, Jul 31 - More than 40 people appeared in a Hong Kong court on Wednesday charged with rioting for their role in a recent protest that turned violent when thousands of activists clashed with police near Beijing’s main representative office in the city.
TEHRAN, Young Journalists Club (YJC) - A wave of protests that began in late April have plunged the former British colony into its biggest political crisis since its return to Chinese rule in 1997.
This is the first time that the authorities in the financial hub have resorted to using the rioting charge, and it could infuriate activists who have been demanding that the government avoid using the term “riot” to refer to the demonstrations.
Under Hong Kong law, rioting is defined as an unlawful assembly of three or more people where any person “commits a breach of the peace”, and a conviction can carry a 10-year prison sentence.
Hundreds gathered outside the court house chanting “revolution of our time” and “liberate Hong Kong” as the 44 defendants appeared in court.
“I’m not scared to protest. This whole thing today is just making me more angry,” said Gartner, a 21-year-old protester outside the court who declined to give his full name.
“I don’t think it will scare people.”
Nine of the defendants had been released on bail of HK$1,000 (£105) by noon. They were ordered to remain in Hong Kong and a curfew was imposed between midnight and 6am.
“The Chinese government just wants to scare people not to go out and protest again. It will deter some of us,” another supporter named Syrus, 19, said outside the court.
Source: Reuters
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