8 Hong Kong activists on trial over banned Tiananmen vigil
ABC News
A trial has begun for Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai and seven other pro-democracy activists over their roles in an unauthorized Tiananmen vigil, amid a crackdown on political dissent in Hong Kong
HONG KONG -- A trial began Monday for Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai and seven other pro-democracy activists charged over their roles in an unauthorized Tiananmen vigil last year, amid a crackdown on political dissent in Hong Kong.
Lai and the seven others, which includes Lee Cheuk-yan, the former chairman of the now-defunct Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, face charges of organizing, participating and inciting others to take part in the unauthorized candlelight vigil commemorating the bloody 1989 crackdown on protesters in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square.
The eight whose trial started Monday previously pleaded not guilty to the charges against them. Their trial is expected to last 10 days.
Police last year banned the annual vigil for the first time in three decades, citing public health risks from the coronavirus pandemic. Critics believe the ban is part of the crackdown on opposition in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory following months of anti-government protests in 2019.
