#FirstHand #May18 #SingWithU
Citizens Participate in “Sing With You” in IFC Mall

1833 | IFC, #Central
Today there is a “Sing With You” event at IFC mall. About 30 citizens joined the event after work, with more and more expected to come. So far riot police have yet to enter the mall, remaining stationed outside the building. The participating citizens were chanting slogans such as “5 Demands, Not 1 Less” as well as “Liberate Hong Kong, Revolution of Our Time”. Some participants were suggesting a new slogan “March on 5.24, Oppose the evil bill on 5.27”.

#FirstHand #May18 #SingWithU

1833 | IFC, #Central
People start to stream in to join tonight's "Sing with You" activity. Many of them are standing at the balconies of the atrium, while some of them are at the atrium itself. Protest slogans can be heard reverberating through the mall as more and more people start to join in.

#FirstHand #May18 #SingWithYou

1854 | IFC, #Central
More people gathered on 2/F. Some citiznes sang "Glory to Hong Kong" and yelled "Liberate Hong Kong, Revolution of our time" in IFC.

#HKProtest

#LegCo #Melee
Pro-democracy Lawmakers Assaulted by Beijing loyalists and LegCo's Security Guards

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The Legislative Council's (LegCo) controversial House Committee meeting on May 18 turned into an assault of the pro-democracy lawmakers.

Since Beijing had openly condemned the pro-democracy camp for filibustering, the Beijing loyalists became nit just verbally but physically aggressive towards the opposition camp to "speed up" the meeting procedure.

In the latest meeting on May 18,
pro-democracy lawmaker Ted Hui was pushed and pinned to the floor by three members of the security staff. Beijing loyalist Chung-hung Luk shoved pro-democracy lawmaker Jeremy Tam and snatched the black cloth the democratic front used as a protest prop.

Chan Kin-por, the committee moderator endorsed by the pro-Beijing camp, repeatedly accused the opposition lawmakers of "violating the law" and warned that they can be sentenced to 12 months in jail for "clashing with the security guards".

Meanwhile, Chan ordered the security guards to remove Tanya Chan, Ted Hui, Chu Hoi-dick, Roy Kwong, Wan Siu-kin from the chamber. The security guards treated pro-democracy lawmakers violently: Chu, Hui and Lam Cheuk-ting were elbowed; Chu and Hui were each carried away by at least 5 guards and Chu's arms were even bent in the process.

After forcefully expelling the democratic front, Beijing loyalist Chan Kin-por immediately initiated the election process of the committee's chairperson and Beijing loyalist Starry Lee of DAB "won" with 40: 0.

Ted Hui later revealed on Facebook that his chest wall was injured according to a check up at Canossa Hospital. Hui pointed out that many former policemen worked as security guards in the LegCo and that the security team has used "excessive" and "police-style force" to subdue pro-democracy lawmakers.

Source: InMedia; RTHK #May18

#Court #MassArrest
"Political Prosecution", "Five demands, not one less": 15 Pro-democracy Figures Arrested and Charged

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Police arrested 15 pro-democracy figures in high profile on April 18, 2020. The list included heavyweight Martin Lee and Margaret Ng who are both veteran democrats and barristers. Jimmy Lai, founder of Apple Daily, was also on the list.

The 15 were mentioned in court on May 18. They were accused of organising and taking part in illegal assemblies on August 18, August 31, October 1 and October 20, 2019.

When asked in the court, Raphael Wong of the League of Social Democrats (LSD) answered by pointing out the charges as a "political prosecution", while Figo Chan of Civil Human Rights Front replied the court with "Five demands, not one less".

Avery Ng of the League of Social Democrats (LSD) said outside the court, "Compared with many youth and the charges they are facing, ours are miniscule."

The court will resume on June 15 and the trial is expected to take place at the District Court.
The 15 pro-demoncracy figures are:

- Martin Lee
- Margaret Ng
- Jimmy Lai
- 'Long hair' Leung Kwok-hung
- Au Nok-hin
- Figo Chan,
- Raphael Wong
- Avery Ng
- Richard Tsoi
- Leung Yiu-chung
- Cyd Ho
- Albert Ho
- Yeung Sum
- Sin Chung-kai
- Lee Cheuk-yan

Source: InMedia; RTHK #May18
#MartinLee #MargaretNg #AveryNg #RaphaelWong #FigoChan #LongHair #PoliticalProsecution

DC member Chiang Man-ching condemns EDB’s political interference in HKDSE

Secretary for Education Yeung Yun-hung criticised the HKDSE history exam question about the second Sino-Japanese war for being hurtful to Chinese people and misleading earlier. He asked the HKEAA to cancel the question. Northern District DC member and Chinese tutor Chiang Man-ching knelt outside of HKEAA today, he had also been collecting signatures to stop the HKEAA from cancelling the question and condemn the EBD for interfering. Chiang pointed out that candidates this year already experienced the anti-ELAB movement and COVID-19, and they had to deal with EDB’s political interference after the exam. He described the EDA as “fell into enemy hands”, and the HKEAA was the “last line of defence”. He urged the HKEAA Secretary General So Kwok-sang to stand strong.

So was not present, and the petition letter was received by a representative of the HKEAA.

Source: Inmedia HK #May18
#HKDSE #Education #CulturalRevolution #WhiteTerror #EDB

#Court
15 More Charged with Rioting during #PolyU Siege

15 more citizens, including YouTuber Auman, were charged of riot and possession of arms or ammunition during the PolyU siege in November 2019. The case was heard in Eastern Magistrates' Courts on May 18.

Outside the court, the counsel who represented three of the defendants revealed that the police ordered the arrested to kneel in an outdoor carpark overnight. They suffered for 4 hours without food and water, time to use the bathroom and meeting their lawyers. If they talk, they will be insulted by the police using foul language. This process only ended because someone fainted.

Another counsel tried to file a complaint in court that the police used disproportionate violence against the defendant when subduing him. Yet, the magistrate stopped him and asked him to file it in the next hearing.

Since the prosecutor needed time to prepare documents, the hearing was adjourned to 20 Aug in West Kowloon Magistrates Courts.

Source: InMedia #May18

#Scandal #AsiasFinest
HK Police: Director of National Security Police did nothing 'unethical or illegal' in Prostitution Site

On May 18, 2021, the Hong Kong Police announced that the director of the force's #NationalSecurityDepartment, #FrederickChoi, had not been engaged in any unethical or illegal behaviour.

In March 2021, Choi was found at an unlicensed massage parlour in Wan Chai during a police raid. Though the parlour was a confirmed venue for prostitution and six women were arrested, the police claimed that the senior officer Choi did not committ "any immoral or unlawful behaviour.“

The police stressed that their investigation was undertaken from "all directions and multiple angles". The police claimed that visiting unlicensed masage parlour did not breach the law, so Choi was not arrested.

Source: Stand News #May18
#DoubleStandard #PoliceState