Two of the five demonstrators standing trial for blocking Secretary for Security Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee's car during a right of abode protest earlier this year were found guilty of obstruction yesterday. Three other defendants were cleared while the two convicted protesters were bound over to keep the peace. Magistrate Anthony Yuen Wai-ming said the court understood the frustrations felt by the abode seekers during the April 24 protest outside the Legco building. He added: 'This court fully appreciates the anger and grievance of the right of abode seekers. And this court fully appreciates your right to demonstrate. 'However, what you and some of the demonstrators [had done] in this case had crossed the line. It causes not only disturbance but concerns of one's own safety.' Mr Yuen, sitting in Western Magistrate Court, found Hong Kong residents Poon Ping-kuen, 51, and Lam Pik-fai, 66, guilty of one count of obstruction in a public place and one count of behaving in a disorderly manner. The pair had stood alongside Hong Kong resident Hung Siu-yuen, 52, and abode seekers Hui Yau-yim, 30, and Tsoi Ching-hau, 29, in the dock for a seven-day trial. The three men remained calm as Mr Yuen found them not guilty of similar obstruction charges. After returning the guilty plea for Poon and Lam, he bound the men over on a sum of $1,000 for a year. The magistrate described the protest as an unplanned incident that rapidly deteriorated as the crowd grew to surround Mrs Ip's car. Mr Yuen said in finding Poon and Lam guilty of behaving in a disorderly manner, their conduct had to exceed 'mere insulting behaviour per se'. He pointed out that Poon was captured on video sitting in front of the number plate of Mrs Ip's car as it tried to move forward. The court heard that Lam was poking at an officer's neck with his hand after he was asked to stay calm. Regarding the charge of obstruction in a public place, the magistrate defined obstruction as a 'continuous physical occupation' for a substantial period of time. He acquitted Hung, Hui and Tsoi of the charges after he found they had obstructed the car only briefly. Poon was also acquitted of assaulting Detective Senior Inspector Tang Wai-keung outside the Legco Building as the magistrate ruled that, given the chaotic nature of the protest, it was unclear how the policeman was hit.
