Former Hong Kong opposition district councillor jailed for insulting police at protest
- Raymond Li sentenced to seven months in prison for disturbing public order at a protest against the national security law
- Judge says his comments and conduct could have incited others to use violence against police
A former opposition district councillor in Hong Kong has been jailed for seven months for disturbing public order by hurling insults at police during a protest against the enactment of the national security law two years ago.
Raymond Li Chi-wang, former chairman of Sha Tin District Council, was convicted earlier this month of behaving in a noisy or disorderly manner in a public place during a demonstration in Causeway Bay on May 24, 2020.
Passing sentence at Eastern Court on Thursday, Magistrate Winnie Lau Yee-wan said Li’s offence was “very serious” in that his disruptive conduct could have excited disaffection and the use of violence against police.
“Had there been people who resorted to actual violence, it could very well have led to casualties and losses of property,” Lau said. “The use of violence could also have been noticed by the gathering crowd, resulting in a heightened risk of other people being instigated to use violence as well.”
Li, 27, was present at the May 24 rally on Hong Kong Island against Beijing’s decision to impose a national security law on the city, following months of anti-government unrest sparked by a now-withdrawn extradition bill.
The new law took effect on June 30, 2020, outlawing acts of secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces.
The court heard that Li was observing the protest outside Sogo department store at around 3pm, when he accused a sergeant of pushing him after he fell to the ground.
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The video evidence, however, showed Li could have lost his footing while trying to avoid contact with another officer.
An hour later, Li was seen at the junction of Canal Road East and Hennessy Road, complaining he had been assaulted by an officer earlier that day.
In an angry outburst, the then district councillor called police “trash” and “inhuman” and urged “rogue cops and their families” to “go to hell”. The ruckus was said to have attracted some 200 spectators at one point, with some echoing Li’s sentiments and shouting abuse at police.
In her verdict on July 15, 2022 Lau dismissed Li’s defence that he was merely monitoring officers’ exercise of their power, noting it was not among the duties of a district councillor. Instead, she ruled that Li had knowingly conducted himself in a disorderly manner and disregarded the risk of physical conflicts.
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The magistrate on Thursday set a starting point of sentence of eight months imprisonment before knocking one month off to reflect Li’s clear criminal record and past records of public service. She further rejected the defence’s request for bail pending an appeal in the High Court.
Li has separately been charged with violating a government ban on public gatherings for joining a protest outside the Thai consulate building in Admiralty in October 2020. He has denied the allegation.
Li was disqualified in October last year after the government held that the oaths taken by him and 48 other opposition district councillors were invalid. The decision was final and could not be judicially reviewed under the revamped electoral system.
