A Hong Kong judge has convicted seven individuals, including a former pro-democracy lawmaker, of rioting during mob violence at a subway station in July 2019, at the peak of the city's anti-government protests.
The defendants, led by former legislator Lam Cheuk-ting, were accused of inciting a group of around 100 men armed with wooden poles and metal rods who attacked protesters and bystanders at a train station. The men, dressed in white shirts, claimed to be protecting their homeland in Yuen Long, a residential area in Hong Kong's New Territories.
The violence resulted in numerous injuries, including to Lam, and drew public criticism towards the police for their delayed response, further fueling the protest movement.
Judge Stanley Chan ruled that Lam was not acting as a mediator as claimed but rather was exploiting the situation for political gain, stating that Lam's words had exacerbated the situation.
The defendants are set to be sentenced in February, with emotional reactions from the public gallery upon hearing the verdicts.
The 2019 protests were initially triggered by a proposed extradition law, which was later withdrawn. However, the protesters' demands expanded to include direct elections for city leaders and police accountability.
Following the protests, Beijing imposed a national security law in 2020, leading to the arrest of numerous activists and the silencing or exile of others.
In a separate case, Lam was previously sentenced to six years and nine months in jail, marking one of the city's most significant national security cases.
Overall, more than 10,000 individuals were arrested in connection to the protests for various offenses, such as rioting and participating in unauthorized assemblies. Several white-shirted men were also convicted in other cases related to the mob violence in July 2019.
