Hong Kong independence activist Leung released from prison

Hong Kong activist Edward Leung, who coined the now-banned slogan “Liberate Hong Kong, Revolution of our Times,” has been released from prison

HONG KONG -- Hong Kong activist Edward Leung, who coined the now-banned slogan “Liberate Hong Kong, Revolution of our Times,” was released from prison Wednesday after spending four years behind bars for a 2016 protest.

Leung was a prominent independence activist and the spokesman of Hong Kong Indigenous, a pro-independence group in the city that was outspoken about “localism” and the need to preserve a distinct Hong Kong identity.

In 2018, the 30-year-old activist was convicted of assaulting a police officer and rioting during what is now known as the Fishball Revolution. The unrest began when authorities attempted to crack down on unlicensed hawkers selling street food during the 2016 Lunar New Year holidays in Mong Kok, but clashed with protesters who opposed their actions as an attack on local traditions.

Initially sentenced to six years of imprisonment, Leung had his sentence reduced by two years for good behavior, according to local media reports.