Hong Kong protests: social worker who blocked police vows to keep helping protesters after winning bail pending appeal
- Lau Ka-tung was convicted of deliberately obstructing police at an unauthorised anti-government rally in Yuen Long last July
- Referring to his recent jail stint, the 24-year-old said he felt ‘privileged to experience the suffering of protesters’
Lau Ka-tung was granted bail at the High Court on Tuesday, six days after he was sentenced to a year behind bars by a lower court over his crime at an unauthorised rally in Yuen Long last July 27.
The 24-year-old was convicted of deliberately delaying police for several minutes by standing in front of a cordon of officers during a clearance operation that day. Lau argued he had merely asked officers to slow down to allow protesters time to leave.
In finding Lau guilty, Fanling Court ruled the presence of social workers at the scene led to chaos and danger and had “fundamentally dealt a blow” to police work.
The jail sentence drew criticism from lawmakers and social work unions, who argued social workers at demonstrations were essential in safeguarding protesters’ rights and safety.