Hong Kong student arrested over laser pointers amid protests faces up to seven years in prison, case moved to District Court
- Baptist University student union leader is facing charges of weapons possession, resisting arrest and perverting the course of justice
- Police accuse him of illegally possessing 10 laser pointers, which they deemed weapons, when he was arrested during last year’s protests
Keith Fong Chung-yin, who heads Baptist University’s student union, appeared in West Kowloon Court on Tuesday accused of three charges stemming from an incident at a local flea market on August 6, 2019.
The charges include possessing offensive weapons in a public place, resisting a police officer and perverting the course of public justice.
The 22-year-old was accused of illegally possessing the laser pointers – which were deemed to be weapons by police – shortly after buying them in the vicinity of Ap Liu Street and Kweilin Street in Sham Shui Po that night.
Shining laser pointers at police was a common tactic used by protesters during last year’s long-running anti-government protests, though Fong was not accused of engaging in the behaviour himself.