Hong Kong protests: former vice-chairwoman of Tiananmen vigil group admits joining gathering, denies calling on others to participate in person
- Chow Hang-tung from the now-dissolved Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China says event was only for small group of top members
- She argues the public was encouraged to join online, but others such as tycoon Jimmy Lai had shown up and she could not reject them for no reason
A former vice-chairwoman of the group behind Hong Kong’s annual Tiananmen Square vigil admitted on Friday she joined a “private” gathering in a public park on June 4 last year but denied calling on others to physically take part.
Chow Hang-tung, 36, was among three opposition figures who pleaded not guilty at the District Court to unauthorised assembly charges linked to the candlelight vigil in Victoria Park that day.
Police had banned the event – which marks the 1989 crackdown in Beijing – for the first time in 31 years, citing public health concerns.
Judge Amanda Woodcock had on Thursday required Chow and activist Gwyneth Ho Kwai-lam, 31, to respond to the allegation of knowingly taking part in an unauthorised assembly.
Woodcock found that the prosecution had established a prima facie case against them, meaning evidence in initial investigation appears to support the charge.
