HONG KONG – Holding banners and shouting slogans, hundreds of people gathered in front of a Hong Kong court on Monday in a rare act of defiance after 47 of the city’s most prominent politicians and pro-democracy activists were arrested.
The brief gathering of supporters, holding yellow placards that read “Free all political prisoners”, was an echo of the huge pro-democracy demonstrations that regularly filled the streets of Hong Kong in 2019. They lined up around the court complex West Kowloon, where the 47 opposition figures were being indicted on charges of conspiracy to commit subversion.
These demonstrations became an unusual sight in Hong Kong last year or so, after the city enacted restrictions to combat the pandemic and Beijing imposed a tough national security law in June.
The police alerted the crowd that they could be violating the security law or illegal assembly rules. In the afternoon, police set up security lines around the court, forcing protesters to disperse.
“We know we can’t get in, but we want to show our support,” said Wong Tin-yan, a district council member who waited hours but was unable to attend the hearing. “Hong Kong people are so angry. No other protest can happen, so we came here. The new law prohibits everything else. “
The 47 opposition figures were accused on Sunday by the police, the most energetic use of national security law to date and a measure that could effectively decimate the political opposition in Hong Kong.
Officials say the group violated the security law by participating in a primary election held by the Hong Kong pro-democracy camp in July. The group hoped to win a majority of seats on the territory’s legislative council, then block the legislation and force the city’s chief executive to step down.
While such moves may seem common in democracies, prosecutors in Hong Kong said the strategy violated the security law’s ban on interfering with government functions.
The latest wave of lawsuits raises questions about whether Hong Kong’s courts will maintain their independence. Beijing has increased pressure on the judiciary, sparking fears that judges will be increasingly inclined to condemn opposition leaders.
Last week, Xia Baolong, the director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Bureau of China, demanded checks to ensure that members of the judiciary in Hong Kong were “true patriots”.
Xia pointed to the criticism of three pro-democracy activists who were accused of violating the security law. Joshua Wong, a protest leader, Jimmy Lai, a newspaper editor, and Benny Tai, a law scholar, are “extremely wicked” and “should be severely punished for their illegal actions,” Xia said in a speech he also signaled plans to renew the elections to stop candidates considered disloyal to the Communist Party.
Activists accused of subversion are likely to be detained for months before the trial begins, because the security law sets a higher standard for bail.
Several defense lawyers told the court that they opposed prosecutors’ request for a three-month delay in the process. Having acted quickly to bring charges, prosecutors must also guarantee a speedy trial, said Paul Harris, one of the defense lawyers.
Hong Kong police arrested more than 10,000 people during the protests that began in June 2019. Of these, more than 2,400 faced charges. In addition, about 100 were arrested under national security law.