Hong Kong student leader Joshua Wong has been convicted of participating in a protest that led to the city's mass pro-democracy rallies in September 2014. The 19-year-old has slammed his case as political persecution.
Image: Anthony Kwan/Getty Images
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A leading figure in Hong Kong's "Umbrella Movement", Joshua Wong, was found guilty on Thursday of taking part in an unlawful assembly. The verdict could see Wong jailed for up to five years.
The "Umbrella Movement" brought parts of Hong Kong to a standstill for more than two months in 2014, as residents called on Beijing to allow fully free elections of future leaders in the semi-autonomous city.
Fellow student leaders Alex Chow and Nathan Law were also convicted over the same protest Thursday - Chow for taking part and Law for inciting others to do so.
All three defendants were released on bail and are due back on court on August 15 for sentencing.
He was acquitted in June over an anti-China protest in the first of a series of cases against him to reach a verdict.
Nomination vetting
The protests in fall 2014 aimed to pressure Beijing into allowing Hong Kong to accept open nominations in the 2017 leadership elections.
At their height, the rallies drew tens of thousands of people. Despite the protests, Beijing refused to change its stance, after announcing in late August 2014 that candidates for next year's leadership elections would first have to be vetted by a loyalist committee.
Britain handed Hong Kong back to the Chinese government in 1997 under a "one country, two systems" scheme that allows Hong Kong a degree of autonomy from the mainland and envisages eventual "universal suffrage."
ksb/kms (AFP, AP)
Police action against Hong Kong protesters
Pepper spray, batons and dozens of arrests: Hong Kong witnessed one of the worst clashes between pro-democracy protesters and the city's police since the protests began two weeks ago.
Image: Reuters/Stringer
Chaotic scenes
Armed with batons and riot gear, police on October 15 cleared a tunnel occupied by the activists. According to the authorities, 45 people were arrested. There were also reports of several injuries on both sides.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/ Philippe Lopez
Violent confrontation
The clashes were the most intense since the early days of the pro-democracy protests, which began some two weeks ago. The protesters initially took the authorities by surprise by blocking an important tunnel with tires, bars and concrete slabs. The police managed to clear the site, nevertheless.
Image: Reuters/Carlos Barria
Footage triggers outrage
According to eyewitness and media reports, the police used excessive force and beat up protesters. Footage from a local television network showed a group of plainclothes officers assaulting a handcuffed and unarmed pro-democracy protester in a Hong Kong public park.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/ Alex Ogle
A key road
The tunnel on Lung Wo Road is an important east-west artery near the offices of the government and legislature of the megacity. It took the police one hour to regain control of the tunnel.
Image: Reuters/Tyrone Siu
Another night outdoors
Once again, hundreds of protesters camped overnight at the three main protest sites: Admiralty and Causeway Bay - located on Hong Kong Island - and the shopping district of Mong Kok on the Kowloon peninsula.
Image: Reuters/Tyrone Siu
Unrest
The protests in the semi-autonomous region have now entered their third week. They were triggered by Beijing's insistence that it will vet candidates standing for election as the semi-autonomous city's next leader in 2017. Many Hong Kongers, however, demand "genuine" universal suffrage.
Image: Reuters/Carlos Barria
Talks canceled
The Hong Kong authorities were expected to meet with representatives of the pro-democracy movement last week to discuss a possible solution to the crisis. But the talks were canceled at the last minute.
Image: REUTERS/T. Siu
Political deadlock
In the meantime, the Chinese government in Beijing says it will not budge on Hong Kong. Ever since the protests began two weeks ago, neither Beijing nor the Hong Kong authorities have made any concessions to the pro-democracy movement.
