HONG KONG-STUDENTS Hong Kong student leader Joshua Wong formally charged for unlawful assembly

Record ID: 142316

  • Title: HONG KONG-STUDENTS Hong Kong student leader Joshua Wong formally charged for unlawful assembly
  • Date: 27th August 2015
  • Summary: HONG KONG, CHINA (AUGUST 27, 2015) (REUTERS) CONVENER OF STUDENT GROUP SCHOLARISM, JOSHUA WONG (IN ORANGE) ARRIVING AT POLICE HEADQUARTERS, SUPPORTERS CHEERING WONG AND SECRETARY GENERAL OF HONG KONG FEDERATION OF STUDENTS, NATHAN LAW (LEFT) WALKING JOURNALISTS SURROUNDING WONG AT POLICE HEADQUARTERS ENTRANCE VARIOUS OF WONG USING PHONE IN FRONT OF POLICE HEADQUARTERS POLICE STANDING (SOUNDBITE) (English) CONVENER OF STUDENT GROUP SCHOLARISM, JOSHUA WONG, SAYING: "I think involved in the action to get back Citizen Square on 26th of September was the best decision I have made within the four years I have involved in the social movement and student movement. I do not regret." WONG SPEAKING TO REPORTERS (SOUNDBITE) (English) CONVENER OF STUDENT GROUP SCHOLARISM, JOSHUA WONG, SAYING: "I will not regret in involving in this action. Even (if) I need to pay the price, go to the court and even go to the jail." YELLOW UMBRELLA WITH WORDS READING (ENGLISH) "UMBRELLA GENERATION" WONG AND LAW WALKING TO POLICE HEADQUARTERS JOURNALISTS WONG, LAW AND FORMER SECRETARY GENERAL OF HONG KONG FEDERATION OF STUDENTS, ALEX CHOW, ENTERING POLICE HEADQUARTERS ON ESCALATOR VARIOUS OF SUPPORTERS SHOUTING VARIOUS OF SUPPORTERS HOLDING YELLOW UMBRELLAS UNDER SIGN READING (ENGLISH) "HONG KONG POLICE HEADQUARTERS" WONG HOLDING CHARGE SHEETS AFTER EXITING POLICE HEADQUARTERS CHARGE SHEETS WONG WALKING AWAY WONG'S LAWYER, MICHAEL VIDLER, TALKING TO REPORTERS (SOUNDBITE) (English) JOSHUA WONG'S LAWYER, MICHAEL VIDLER, SAYING: "It is inexcusable. These alleged offences are not such that you need a year to consider. This, if anything, just points to the fact that this is a politically motivated charge. If they wanted to charge him, they should've charged him back in September 2014."
  • Embargoed: 11th September 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: China
  • Country: China
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVAAQ7AFN8ZPASQL7FV5XA229T2B
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: The student leaders at the centre of last year's pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong were served with additional charges on Thursday (August 27) when they reported to police headquarters for a mandatory check-in.
    Joshua Wong, was served with two charges, including unlawful assembly, for storming into a government headquarters' courtyard last year, an event that helped spark the months'-long Occupy protests.
    He faces two other charges related to a protest outside the office of China's top official in Hong Kong.
    The boyish Wong, along with a handful of other student leaders, became the face of last year's protests demanding open nominations in Hong Kong's next chief executive election in 2017. The activists were unsuccessful with their bid.
    Wong, who leads the group Scholarism, was unrepentant about the role he played in the storming.
    "I think involved in the action to get back Citizen Square on 26th of September was the best decision I have made within the four years I have involved in the social movement and student movement. I do not regret," he said.
    "I will not regret in involving in this action. Even (if) I need to pay the price, go to the court and even go to the jail," Wong added.
    Former Hong Kong Federation of Students leader Alex Chow and secretary-general Nathan Law each also received a charge on Thursday for storming the courtyard, according to local broadcaster RTHK.
    Wong's lawyer, Michael Vidler, noted that Wong has not been formally arrested but "invited" to attend court, saying this was the first time he'd encountered such a request in the 20-odd years he'd been in Hong Kong.
    He added that the one year delay in charging Wong was "inexcusable" and it was politically-motivated case.
    "It is inexcusable. These alleged offences are not such that you need a year to consider. This, if anything, just points to the fact that this is a politically motivated charge. If they wanted to charge him, they should've charged him back in September 2014," Vidler said.
    Hong Kong is a former British colony. It was returned to Chinese Communist Party rule in 1997 by the British under an agreement that gave it greater freedoms and some autonomy for 50 years.
    Several dozen people, some holding yellow umbrellas, gathered outside police headquarters to show their support for the student leaders.
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