Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong arrested over ‘unauthorised assembly’
24 September 2020, 11:54
Mr Wong tweeted that he was arrested when he reported to the semi-autonomous Chinese territory’s Central Police Station.
Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong says he has been arrested again for allegedly participating in an unauthorised assembly last October.
Mr Wong tweeted that he was arrested when he reported to the semi-autonomous Chinese territory’s Central Police Station.
He said he was also accused of violating a pre-coronavirus pandemic law banning the wearing of masks in public places on the pretext they obscure identity.
Mr Wong told reporters after leaving the police station that it is the third case against him – he vowed to continue to resist.
#BREAKING Joshua is arrested when reporting to Central Police Station at about 1pm today. The arrest is related to participating in an unauthorized assembly on 5Oct last year. He is told to have violated the draconian anti-mask law as well.
— Joshua Wong 黃之鋒 😷 (@joshuawongcf) September 24, 2020
He rose to prominence as a student leader during the 2014 Umbrella Movement protests for universal suffrage, and is among a growing number of activists being charged for various relatively minor offences since Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law that has severely restricted political speech in the territory.
He played a low-key role in mostly leaderless and sometimes violent anti-government protests last year that led to Beijing imposing the security law.
With Beijing’s encouragement, Hong Kong authorities have been pursuing charges against major opposition figures for illegal assembly and other minor infractions in what some call a campaign to harass and intimidate.
