A Hong Kong court convicted 14 people of rioting over the storming of legislature in 2019 protests
ABC News
A Hong Kong court on Thursday convicted four people for rioting over the storming of the city’s legislative council building at the height of the anti-government protests more than four years ago
HONG KONG -- A Hong Kong court on Thursday convicted four people for rioting over the storming of the city's legislative council building at the height of the anti-government protests more than four years ago.
The break-in on July 1 in 2019 — the 22nd anniversary of the former British colony's return to China - was one of the most chaotic episodes of the massive protests sparked by a now-withdrawn extradition bill.
Hundreds of protesters swarmed into the legislature that night, defacing pictures and smashing furniture. Some spray-painted slogans in the chamber and painted over the territory’s emblem on a wall before vacating the site as riot police cleared surrounding streets with tear gas and then moved inside. The legislature eventually spent about 36 million Hong Kong dollars (US$4.6 million) on repairing the damages, the court heard earlier.
The six defendants, including actor Gregory Wong and two reporters Wong Ka-ho and Ma Kai-chung, last year pleaded not guilty to rioting.
On Thursday, judge Li Chi-ho said four of the six defendants, including Gregory Wong, were found guilty of rioting. Wong Ka-ho and Ma were acquitted of the rioting charge but were convicted for unlawful entry into the legislature.
