Hong Kong protests: pair admit rioting and beating resident who complained of noise during outbreak of unrest
- Chan Ming-kwai and Wong Yam-cho plead guilty at District Court over eruption of violence at protest last year marking death of student
- Resident trying to sleep challenged the two protesters over the noise in November last year before he was set upon
Two Hongkongers have admitted rioting and beating up a resident who complained about the noise they were making during unrest that broke out after a student died from injuries sustained falling from a nearby car park.
Chan Ming-kwai, 59, and Wong Yam-choi, 29, pleaded guilty at the District Court on Friday to two offences relating to the eruption of violence on November 9 last year at Beverly Garden in Tseung Kwan O, where anti-government protesters had gathered in memory of Chow Tsz-lok.
Chow, 22, died on November 8 after reportedly falling a few days earlier from the Sheung Tak Estate car park opposite as police carried out a dispersal operation nearby with rounds of tear gas.
The group chanted “Hongkongers keep it up” and “corrupted cops” as their numbers continued to grow from the start of the gathering at 12.30am.
Public prosecutor Timothy Chen Ke-hong said their chants woke up a Beverly Garden resident, identified only as X, who went downstairs at about 2.45am to tell the group of more than 20 people to quiet down as he had to go to work the next day.
But X soon found himself surrounded by the protesters, who then swore at him, blocked his path and suddenly assaulted him.