12 Hongkongers jailed for up to 3 years and 4 months over rioting linked to 2019 PolyU siege
Hong Kong Free Press
Twelve people have been jailed for up to three years and four months after they pleaded guilty to rioting in connection with the police siege of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) in November 2019.
Deputy District Judge Peony Wong on Friday meted out prison terms to 12 defendants aged between 22 and 32, who were among more than 210 people intercepted by the police in Yau Ma Tei on November 18, 2019, following brutal clashes between protesters and police near PolyU.
The arrests in Yau Ma Tei came after calls appeared online to “rescue” protesters inside the Hung Hom-based university by staging protests in nearby areas in a bid to divert policing efforts.
Protests erupted in June 2019 over a since-axed extradition bill. They escalated into sometimes violent displays of dissent against police behaviour, amid calls for democracy and anger over Beijing’s encroachment. Demonstrators demanded an independent probe into police conduct, amnesty for those arrested and a halt to the characterisation of protests as “riots.”
PolyU was surrounded on all sides by riot police for almost two weeks in mid-November that year, with some protesters barricading themselves inside the red-brick campus, while others surrendered. Some took desperate measures to flee the university by climbing down ropes or escaping through sewers.
In jailing the 12 defendants, Wong said protesters dressed in black had worn face masks, face-coverings and helmets as they gathered in large numbers and engaged in acts that breached peace. Around 2,000 people were at the scene during the peak of the unrest that day, the judge said.
Some protesters blocked roads with large wooden boards, while others formed a defence line using umbrellas. It was estimated that protesters hurled around 250 petrol bombs at the police, while also throwing tear gas canisters back at officers.
After the clashes, the streets were a “complete shambles,” the judge remarked, as MTR station exits and lampposts were vandalised and damaged. The protests also seriously affected the safety of nearby residents, she said.
Wong adopted a jail term of four and a half years as the starting point of their sentences, offering a 26 per cent deduction for defendants’ guilty pleas. Some were given additional discounts for their academic excellence and positive attitude after being remanded, and considering the impact of the case on their future career prospects.
Wong Tsz-wang and Ryan So were given the shortest jail term of three years each, while the longest sentence of three years and four months was imposed on Wong Chi-chung, Wan Ying-kit, Alan Tong, Liu Chi-man and Wong Koon-fung.
The remaining defendants were jailed for three years and two months. They were Lee Nok-lam, Wong Man-chak, Chung King-tung, Wong Nga-lam and Wong Yu-mei.
Under Hong Kong law, rioting is punishable by up to 10 years of imprisonment. But the jail term handed down by the District Court is capped at seven years.
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