Hong Kong protests: 9 remanded in custody ahead of sentencing for rioting during 2019 PolyU siege
- Court convicts seven men, two women in light of ‘overwhelming’ evidence group took part in large-scale disturbance near Polytechnic University on November 18, 2019
- Judge Anthony Kwok says group’s ‘presence must have been direct support for, and encouragement to, protesters to commit a breach of the peace in society’
The District Court on Monday convicted the seven men and two women, aged between 22 and 29, in light of “overwhelming” evidence of their participation in the large-scale disturbance that erupted around 1.5km from the Polytechnic University (PolyU) campus in Hung Hom on November 18 that year.
Judge Anthony Kwok Kai-on rejected the exculpatory remarks advanced by some of the accused and said they had no reasonable excuses for their presence that night after a “fierce battle” between protesters and police at a road junction in Yau Ma Tei.
“The cumulative effect of the circumstantial evidence submitted by the prosecution is overwhelming without a doubt,” he told the court.
“To those who deliberately remained at the scene of a riot, even if they had done nothing there, as long as they assembled together with the rioters, their presence must have been direct support for, and encouragement to, protesters to commit a breach of the peace in society.”