Hong Kong protests: three arrested over July 1 storming of Legislative Council, according to reports, in police swoop of high-profile activists ahead of National Day



Hong Kong police targeted high-profile figures of the protest movement ahead of National Day, reportedly arresting three people on Monday in connection with the storming of the city's legislature in July.

Television and film actor Gregory Wong Chung-yiu and pro-democracy activist Ventus Lau Wing-hong were taken to police stations after officers visited their homes in an early morning swoop, according to those close to them.


Passion Times, a news site run by the localist party Civic Passion, also said one of its reporters had been arrested.


The apparent arrests relate to a watershed episode in the anti-government protests, when demonstrators splintered off from a peaceful march on July 1 to break into the unguarded Legislative Council and vandalise the complex in Admiralty.

Pro-democracy group Demosisto said police arrived at Wong's home at around 7am and he was taken to Wan Chai police headquarters.

The group's former chairman, Nathan Law Kwun-chung, said Wong was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit criminal damage and entering Legco's chamber, in violation of the Legislative Council (Powers and Privileges) Ordinance.

Wong is a vocal supporter of Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement and was seen on a number of authorised protests in the past few months, including on July 1.

He is known for roles such as a campaign officer in TV drama The Election, which aired in 2014.

"The case is related to the July 1 Legislative Council incident," Law said, adding that legal support had been sent.

An estimated 550,000 people marched on July 1, a date marking Hong Kong's return to Chinese rule in 1997.

Pro-democracy activist Lau was also taken from his home to Castle Peak Police Station at around 6am on Monday.

According to activist Emilia Wong, Lau's arrest was also related to the July 1 protest.

Lau, widely known as a localist, was held on suspicion of conspiracy to commit criminal damage and entering Legco's chamber, Emilia Wong said.

Passion Times said its reporter Ma Kai-chung was arrested on suspicion of the same offences.

The news site, which slammed police for rousing "white terror" and accused it of damaging press freedom, said Ma was covering developments inside Legco and had his press card with him.


Lau was also arrested earlier on suspicion of illegal assembly relating to a protest he had helped to organise in Kwun Tong last month, although no charge has been laid.

The Post has approached police to confirm the arrests.

Plans are afoot for various anti-government demonstrations for National Day on Tuesday " when China will mark the 70th anniversary of Communist Party rule " after pro-democracy group Civil Human Rights Front's application for a march was rejected by police.

On August 30, police arrested prominent pro-democracy activists, including Demosisto's Joshua Wong Chi-fung and Agnes Chow Ting, as well as three lawmakers " Jeremy Tam Man-ho, Cheng Chung-tai and Au Nok-hin.

The arrests came a day before the front's protest on August 31, but police denied they were related.

Hong Kong has emerged from 17 straight weekends of protest, triggered by the now-withdrawn extradition bill, which would have allowed criminal suspects to be sent back to mainland China.

Copyright (c) 2019. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.




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