Hong Kong protests: 6 jailed for up to 49 months over rioting in heart of city’s business district in 2019
- Judge tells defendants 4-year jail terms could have been higher, but for extenuating circumstances
- Five men, one woman sentenced at District Court on Friday for taking part in ‘large-scale riot’ with thousands of protesters
A sixth offender will serve 49 months behind bars after he was given an additional sentence on top of the four-year jail term for possession of items that could be used for vandalism.
Judge Frankie Yiu Fun-che on Friday said the defendants’ jail terms could have been as high as five years if not for their minor involvement, previous clean records, a low risk of reoffending and the delay in court proceedings.
“It was a large-scale riot where thousands of protesters gathered in the bustling district of Central to occupy roads, set fires and vandalise traffic facilities. The case was very serious,” Yiu said.
Earlier this year, the trial heard that thousands of protesters occupied parts of Pedder Street, Des Voeux Road Central and Connaught Road Central in a lunchtime disruption that lasted for more than three hours.
Some participants damaged traffic lights and stranded buses, set fires and erected road barricades using rubbish, nails and umbrellas.
Police arrested 28 people outside the Landmark shopping centre in a dispersal operation just before 3.30pm.
Those held included the six found guilty of rioting at the first of three trials connected to the incident.
10 convicted of rioting during 2019 Hong Kong protests jailed
They were private tutor Yip Tik-shun, 29, accounting manager Anthony Wong Lok-man, 38, teacher Chan Hin, 26, taxi driver Yuen Ho-hin, 28, and social workers Ng Pak-ming, 23, and Law Cheuk-yung, 26.
All but Chan were also convicted of breaching a government ban on wearing facial coverings during public assemblies. They were each given a six-week prison sentence, to run concurrently with the rioting jail term.
Law, who was also an assistant to Tuen Mun district councillor Lemon Wong Tan-ching, was found guilty of carrying items including a lighter, a spanner and hex keys with intent to damage property.
He was jailed for three months, with one month of the term to be served consecutively with the four years behind bars for rioting.
Ng pleaded guilty before the trial to a charge of unlicensed possession of radio apparatus, an unregistered walkie-talkie. He was fined HK$1,500 (US$191).
Three other accused were acquitted of rioting after the judge noted they had worn colours different from the mostly black-clad demonstrators and carried no protest equipment to the scene.
3 in Hong Kong jailed for up to 44 months over rioting during 2019 unrest
One of them, however, was fined HK$1,500 for failure to produce identification documents when asked.
The second trial involving eight people is at present under way at West Kowloon Court.
Three of the defendants earlier pleaded guilty and were remanded in custody until the trial of the other five is over.
The third trial, involving 10 people, is expected to begin in late July.
Hon Po-sang, a clerk, was the first to be sentenced over the November 12 protest.
He was jailed for 30 months after he admitted charges of rioting, use of facial covering during an unlawful assembly, and possession of instruments for unlawful purposes.
