A lawmaker, a district councillor, and former student leader are among those who have been arrested since this morning after police launched a round-up of prominent pro-democracy activists.
Just ahead of a daily police press briefing at 4pm on Friday, news broke that Cheng Chung-tai, Rick Hui, and Althea Suen, had been arrested for taking part in the ongoing anti-government protests.
Cheng is a lawmaker and chair of a localist political party called Civic Passion. Wong Yeung-tat, the party’s founder and former chair, posted on Facebook this afternoon that Cheng was en route to an event in Tin Shui Wai in the New Territories when he was arrested and is currently being held at Tin Shui Wai police station.
https://www.facebook.com/wytat/posts/10157024129357935?__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARAc_h0R7WXetkPEGimgpEKf-mWDa9xLcYZ3WP92aUIpO2dplGcFjiuTbpojtx96s5KIxzUtPdcCj5ULZi3NOVlLr5XDIV04yJMLTWsgtgUWETffC6DlA3Em86g5YDJj_3WJ94n8m-gyRNpphm8WrpEJUIa5xUhC97MXyaCfCH0jvhGXnhC75OExcjJlpEnWgAAJ_kN-v-np8FBSS83nEF2eKTOl6-ZL6YKyuUtmFAeGpLF1Dxijk6mUolnKRlz4Ba3wYmBFsm3S6hRF-pGsz1dL9sjj9c2Is4a0p8qNqf0Qi91PG00EmjsNgLt8VFPVaIm51b5Ux7Ye-w75rh5ySQ&__tn__=H-R
Just before Cheng’s arrest, a pro-democracy group called Community Sha Tin posted on their Facebook page that Sha Tin district councillor Rick Hui had also been arrested. A few hours later, the group posted on their page a photo of Hui being escorted by police to his residence in Kwun Tong for a search.
https://www.facebook.com/134055657191138/photos/a.175290729734297/458751968054837/?type=1&theater
Prior to that, it was reported that Althea Suen, the former president of the Hong Kong University Students’ Union, had also been arrested for allegedly storming the Legislative Council on July 1.
According to a Facebook post — published to Suen’s account by a friend on her behalf — officers arrived at her home on Thursday night with a search warrant. However, Suen was not at home at the time.
She said that she would go to Wan Chai police headquarters with a lawyer at 2:30pm today, ending her message with “Please don’t worry, and give more focus to the others during the mass arrests over these few days. Liberate Hong Kong!”
https://www.facebook.com/altheasuen/posts/10214166300700727
Suen was arrested for conspiracy to destroy or damage property as well as “entering or remaining in precincts of Chamber” under the Legislative Council (Powers and Privileges) Ordinance. It’s still not known what Hui and Cheng were arrested for and officers at this afternoon’s press briefing said they were unaware that Cheng had been arrested.
Speaking to reporters this afternoon, Chief Superintendent John Tse from the police force’s public relations bureau dismissed suggestions that the timing of the arrests of so many prominent activists was a deliberate message after the force controversially banned a planned rally in Causeway Bay that was due to take place tomorrow afternoon.
“The allegation that we time our arrest is totally false,” Tse said. “Basically, timing of arrest does not dictate our investigation; we’ll arrest a person as soon as we have gathered sufficient evidence to prove his or her offense.”
Although tomorrow’s rally has been cancelled, netizens have posted messages and pictures on social media urging people to head to the area under other auspices, such as shopping, strolling in Victoria Park, and even to having a religious gathering.
However, Patrick Kwok, the regional commander of Hong Kong Island, warned against such workarounds.
“No matter what excuses these people use, police will enforce the law impartially,” he said.
The latest flurry of arrests came hot on the heels of the arrests of prominent pro-democracy activists Joshua Wong and Agnes Chow this morning, and pro-independence figure Andy Chan last night.
Wong and Chow were arrested on suspicion of taking part in an unlawful assembly and incitement during a protest on June 21. Wong additionally was accused of organizing an unlawful assembly.
The pair were released on bail during an appearance at Eastern Magistrates’ Court this afternoon. Both were given curfews between 11pm and 7am and are banned from entering the Admiralty area, RTHK reports.
They also need to report to a police station twice a week and cannot leave Hong Kong, apart from trips they already have planned for next month.
Both were released on bail of HK$10,000 and the case has been adjourned until November 8.
Speaking to the press after their release, both vowed to keep up their activism.
“Even though I’ve been jailed three times and I need to face trial on Nov. 8 — which means three months later — we still keep on our fight,” Wong said. “We shall not surrender.”
Chow, meanwhile, accused the government of trying to intimidate citizens, but said “Hong Kong people won’t give up and won’t be scared by this white terror and injustice.”
RTHK reports that Ivan Lam — the chair of their political party Demosisto, to which Wong and Chow belong — also appeared on the charge sheet, but was not in court and was believed to have left Hong Kong on August 28.
The prosecution said they weren’t sure if Lam was aware that he had been accused of one count of incitement.
