Hong Kong protests: man crossed mainland China border to join Yuen Long railway station attack in 2019, court told
- Ching Wai-ming, 64, is standing trial on charges of taking part in a riot and conspiracy to wound with intent
- Around 100 white-clad men, many of them armed with rattan and wooden sticks, stormed Yuen Long MTR station in July 2019
Hong Kong identity card holder Ching Wai-ming, who lived in neighbouring Shenzhen before his arrest last year, is standing a District Court-level trial on charges of taking part in a riot and conspiracy to wound with intent in connection with the overnight violence at Yuen Long MTR station between July 21 and 22, 2019.
Around 100 white-clad men, many of them armed with rattan and wooden sticks, stormed the station and injured at least 45 people, claiming the move was to protect their homes.
At the time of the attack, some black-shirted protesters were making their way back from a mass demonstration on Hong Kong Island against a now-withdrawn extradition bill.
In his opening statement on Monday, prosecutor William Siu Kai-yip said the defendant crossed the border via the Lok Ma Chau checkpoint at 3.43pm on July 21, four hours before he was spotted assembling with other white-clad men near the station that evening.
A banner emblazoned with the words “Defend Yuen Long, defend our home” was seen hanging at the backdrop of the gathering, with participants chanting through an amplifier: “We are a volunteer army group in Yuen Long.”