Hong Kong protests: opposition party leader, four others arrested for alleged unlawful assembly near PolyU in November

Lo Kin-hei, the Democratic Party’s vice-chairman and chairman of the Southern District Council, was picked up at his flat early Wednesday morning

All five men had been previously arrested on November 18 but released unconditionally at the time

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Southern District Council chairman Lo Kin-hei, of the Democratic Party, was arrested early Wednesday morning along with four others for their alleged participation in an unlawful assembly last November. Photo: Nora Tam

Published: 1:22pm, 15 Jul 2020Updated: 10:23pm, 15 Jul 2020

A Hong Kong opposition party leader was among five men arrested on Wednesday and charged with unlawful assembly after first being detained by police near an anti-government protest outside Hong Kong Polytechnic University last November.

Lo Kin-hei, 36, vice-chairman of the Democratic Party and chairman of the Southern District Council, was picked up at his Kwun Tong flat during a raid by officers from the Organised Crime and Triad Bureau just after daybreak.

The other four men, aged between 21 and 70, were arrested at other locations around the city.

Anti-government protesters block streets out at Hong Kong Polytechnic University in Hung Hom on November 18. Photo: Sam Tsang

After being freed on bail, Lo wrote on his Facebook page: “ I am totally fine, please do not worry. Will live and work as normal until I need to attend the court. I will not be swallowed by fear and worries.”

The five were first arrested on November 18 for unlawful assembly outside the university in Hung Hom, where hundreds of anti-government protesters occupied the campus and engaged in a confrontation with police.