A man charged with taking part in an illegal assembly has been acquitted, after an Eastern Court magistrate ruled that the police had mistaken him for someone else.
Lee Ka-lok was charged after police filmed a man throwing objects at officers during a protest against the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong express rail link project in May last year.
The magistrate said that even if Lee were the man who was throwing things at the police, he did so after the demonstration ended – so it can’t be said he was taking part in the illegal assembly.
The protest occurred a day before a special Legislative Council subcommittee meeting on the construction delay of the project. Protesters criticised the project as a waste of taxpayers’ money, and accused Secretary for Transport Anthony Cheung of covering up the delay.
Scuffles occurred when protesters wanted to continue their march on the main road rather than use a footbridge, because one of their props wouldn’t fit on the footbridge.
During the scuffles, several protesters were pepper-sprayed. Protesters said police used unreasonable force, but Secretary for Security Lai Tung-kwok said officers were reacting to a dangerous situation.
Lee Ka-lok was charged after police filmed a man throwing objects at officers during a protest against the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong express rail link project in May last year.
The magistrate said that even if Lee were the man who was throwing things at the police, he did so after the demonstration ended – so it can’t be said he was taking part in the illegal assembly.
The protest occurred a day before a special Legislative Council subcommittee meeting on the construction delay of the project. Protesters criticised the project as a waste of taxpayers’ money, and accused Secretary for Transport Anthony Cheung of covering up the delay.
Scuffles occurred when protesters wanted to continue their march on the main road rather than use a footbridge, because one of their props wouldn’t fit on the footbridge.
During the scuffles, several protesters were pepper-sprayed. Protesters said police used unreasonable force, but Secretary for Security Lai Tung-kwok said officers were reacting to a dangerous situation.
http://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1214924-20151002.htm
