Schoolboy hurled traffic cones into on-coming traffic during Occupy protests, Hong Kong court hears
Teen arrested during Occupy protests says his action was not part of a group offence
A secondary school pupil hurled four traffic cones onto a major traffic artery in Admiralty during last year's Occupy protests, provoking fellow demonstrators to throw water bottles and rush into the road, a court heard yesterday.
The pupil, Law Cheuk-yung, 18, pleaded not guilty to one count of taking part in an unlawful assembly in Lung Wo Road on October 14.
Police officer Fan Chun-yip said he was walking to Lung Wo Road with colleagues at about 10pm that night and saw around 30 protesters clad in surgical masks at the junction with Legislative Council Road.
"They attempted to push the barricades placed at the pavements onto the road," Fan told Eastern Court. "They also urged others to occupy the road. But there was another group of peaceful protesters asking them not to push the barricades."
He said after a while, he saw a young man jump onto the road partitions and hurl traffic cones onto Lung Wo Road.
"Some drivers had to stop their cars abruptly. It was very dangerous."
Fan said several officers tried to subdue Law but he was struggling vigorously. He disagreed with defence lawyer Rendy Shek Shu-ming's suggestion that Law was raising his hands and did not resist police officers who took him away.
In video clips played in court, the crowd could be heard shouting "triad members", and officers later pepper-sprayed them.
Policewoman Chak Pui-sze, who tried to subdue Law, said: "The man hurled the cones two times … and some cars had to stop … I tried to stop him from throwing [the cones] but he gave no response."
Chak said other protesters applauded and shouted when Law threw the cones. When she took Law away from Lung Wo Road, "a lot of protesters tried to block our way, and some used open umbrellas to push us".
The court heard three plainclothes officers eventually took Law away.
Shek argued that hurling the cones did not constitute an unlawful assembly offence as it was an individual action. The offence required at least three people acting together to breach the peace, the court heard.
Magistrate Lee Siu-ho adjourned the case to September 2 for the verdict.
