LGBT Pride Parade banned first time in 10 years

Every year, the Hong Kong Pride Parade Organizing Committee would organize LGBT marches in Hong Kong Island during the end of the year. Same as the last 9 years, the parade is proposed to take the same route and same regulation from Victoria Park to Edinburgh Square, where an assembly would be held.

However, the parade was banned this year for no reason, causing an outcry from the committee and the LGBT community. Committee members said even though they submitted the proposal in April, the Police Force didn’t give their reply until Mid-October.

And when they asked them for suggestions for the parade in order to ensure that the march can still be held, the Police Force gave vague and indirect answers.

The committee condemned the force for their attitude and neglection of the basic human right for assembly.

#FreedomofExpression #HumanRights #Demonstration

Source: Hong Kong Pride
https://hkpride.net/hk/

#FreedomOfExpression
Hong Kong Singer-songwriter Anthony Wong Denounces National Security Law: Using Art to Recall Life Will Become a Crime

Anthony Yiu-ming Wong criticized China for ignoring the opinions of Hong Kong people and directly enacting the Hong Kong version of the "National Security Law". He lamented that "remembering history or life with music, text, images, or artwork will one day become a crime."

Editor's note: Anthony Wong Yiu Ming (Chinese: 黃耀明; born 16 June 1962) is a Hong Kong singer, songwriter, actor, record producer and activist. His song Criminal Remembrance (回憶有罪) commemorates the Tiananmen Massacre.

Source: Inmedia
#May28 #AnthonyWong #DatMingPair #TiananmenMassacre

#FreedomOfExpression
Statue artist couldn’t believe University-initiated disturbances are oppressing his freedom of expression

Students of Hong Kong Polytechnic University produced and exhibited a series of plaster statues of HK protesters. Without informing the student union, the school took away these plaster statues and some statues were severely damaged.

Statue artist, Ben was furious and is considering of seeking redress through civil claims or small claims tribunal from the school. He said, “I am fully aware of potential disturbances from people with opposing political stances. Similar incidences happened to the Lennon Wall built on campus. However, I couldn’t believe that these troubles actually came from inside the University.”

Source: inmedia.net #Jun16
#FailedState #HKProtests #Censorship #WhiteTerror

Amnesty International Calling to End Violence on Journalists

Belarus has had a series of protests and clashes between civilians and police. Journalists have been arrested, beaten, targeted with rubber bullets while covering police crackdown on protests. Some had their cameras smashed. Amnesty International released a statement on August 12 to call for Belarusian authority to stop attacking journalists.

Marie Struthers, Amnesty International’s Eastern Europe and Central Asia Regional Office Director, said, “ Journalists in Belarus are doing heroic work to ensure the world knows about the authorities’ brutal repression of protests. It is horrifying to see the lengths to which the government will go to suppress this information - attacking reporters with batons and rubber bullets, destroying their equipment, and throwing dozens in jail.”

Struthers continued, “Journalists are being attacked for exposing the crimes committed by the Belarusian authorities against their own people, in a blatant isolation of the right to freedom of expression. The government has even disabled the internet to prevent people from sharing information. As unprecedented numbers of people continue to take to the streets in Belarus, it is essential that press freedom is protected and that no one is harmed simply for doing their job.”

Amnesty International's statement on August 12: Amnesty International calls on the Belarusian authorities to respect media and to immediately and unconditionally release journalists detained solely for fulfilling their professional duties. They must also release all peaceful activists detained solely for exercising their rights to freedom of expression and assembly. They must end reprisals against peaceful protesters, and investigate acts of unlawful force by police.

Source: Apple News #Aug15, Amnesty International #Aug12

#Belarus #Belarus2020 #AmnestyInternational #HumanRights #FreedomOfExpression

#AsiasFinest #Unfreedom
HK Police asks rally organizer to follow theme park's entrance practice and hand in names of rally participants

The Hong Kong police has recently banned the application made by the Civil Human Rights Front (#CHRF) for a protest on October 1, 2020, a public holiday in Hong Kong for the Lantern Festival as well as PRC's national day.

The CHRF has filed for an appeal, but the appeal board upheld the police's decision to ban what would have been Hong Kong's largest authorised protest in months.

The board said that a rally on National Day could put public health at risk despite social distancing measures proposed by the organizer, such as asking marchers to wear masks and walk in groups of no more than four.

Jimmy Sham Tsz-kit, Convenor of CHRF, further revealed that, during their negotiation with Hong Kong Police, the Force cited Ocean Park’s entrance policy as a reference, requesting rally organizer to collect participants’ names and hand them to the Police to identify the source of potential disturbances.

Sham was concerned that this is another attempt of the government to silence Hong Kong citizens, removing their freedom of speech and freedom of expression.

Source: Apple Daily #Sept29
#WhiteTerror #FreedomofExpression
#FreedomofDemonstration
#PoliticalOppression
#NationalDay

#Unfreedom #Oppression
Civil servants warned to refrain from partaking in pro-democracy rallies rejected by HK Police

The Hong Kong police has recently banned the application made by the Civil Human Rights Front (#CHRF) for a protest on October 1, 2020, a public holiday in Hong Kong for the Lantern Festival as well as PRC's national day.

A day ahead of now-banned-rally, Civil Service Secretary Patrick Nip Tak-kuen urged civil servants not to take part in any unauthorised assemblies during the mid-autumn and National Day festivities.

In a letter sent to civil servants on September 30, Nip said that as of the end of September, 46 civil servants have been suspended for either getting arrested for taking part in illegal public activities, or being under police investigation, or being prosecuted.

He said the government attaches great importance to the conduct of civil servants, and have zero tolerance for those who violate the law.

Source: RTHK #Sept30
https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/ch/component/k2/1552429-20200930.htm?spTabChangeable=0

#FreedomofExpression

======
Related News

HK Police asks rally organizer to follow theme park's entrance practice and hand in names of rally participants
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/25613

#WhiteTerror #Regime
Hong Kong Authorities Charge Pro-democracy Radio Host for
"Acting with a Seditious Intention"

#Giggs, a radio host in Hong Kong, was charged with four counts of "acting with a seditious intention" for an online programme he hosted between August and October 2020.

Despite the fact that the alleged offences fall outside the #NationalSecurityLaw, the case was handled by the national security office in Hong Kong.

National Security Judge and chief magistrate #VictorSo said the court didn't have sufficient grounds to believe that Giggs, will not re-offend if granted bail.

The authorities accused Giggs of intending to "bring hatred or contempt against" the Chinese and the Hong Kong SAR governments and inciting Hong Kong people to "revolt like the Ukrainian" which forced their "Chief Executive to self-exile". The vocal radio host was also criticized for showing support for the primary election of the pro-democracy game and "encouraging citizens to attend illegal assembly".

The authorities also condemned Giggs for regarding Hong Kong and Mongolia as independent entities, distorting the national flag and the Chinese authorities in his comments.

The case was adjourned to May 10, 2020 awaiting further police investigation.

Source: InMediaHK.net; #Feb10
https://bit.ly/3jIVHYw

Related article:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/28553

#RadioHost #FreeSpeech #FreedomofExpression #Sedition #Court #Censorship

#WhiteTerror
Razor Wire on #University Campus Stifles Freedom of Expression and Endangers Animals: "Management had Turned It Into a Prison"

A teaching staff at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (#CUHK) discovered that razor wire loops have been installed on the hillside of the campus.

In a Facebook post, the staff member noted that the razor wire is deployed next to a staircase that is part of the main walking path between two campus buildings, and wildlife has been frequently observed roaming through the area.

The staircase is well protected by railings, and is nowhere near the campus boundaries, so the wires offer little protection in terms of security or safety.

However, the hillside had been a favorite spot for displaying banners and flags in the past. The razor wires would seriously hamper the university's freedom of expression, the staff member noted, in addition to becoming a deathtrap for animals that live on the hillside: "Our beautiful campus was built by free-spirited youths over generations, but the management had turned it into a prison."

The CUHK #StudentUnion shares the same concerns in a statement on June 21, 2021 criticizing the move for being "clearly contrary to CUHK's values and beliefs, and blatantly disregards the safety of animals". It also criticized CUHK Property Management for not having consulted the staff and students before installing the razor wire, and had demanded its removal as soon as possible.

Source:
CUHK Student Union
Chan Yin Ha Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Chan.Yin.Ha/posts/10160394007282323

#FreedomOfExpression #CUHK #PoliceState #AnimalRights

#Art #Freedom
Italian city defies China bid to scrap dissident's art show

An Italian city is going ahead with plans to host an art exhibition by a Chinese dissident despite a request from China's embassy to cancel it.

The show, called "China is (not) near," is due to run from November 13 to February 13, 2021 in the northern Italian city of Brescia.

The exhibition by #Badiucao, a cartoonist also known as "The Chinese Banksy", is expected to denounce Chinese political repression and censorship of information on the COVID pandemic.

Brescia Mayor #EmilioDelBono told local press that his office would not comply with a request from the Chinese embassy in Italy to scrap it.

He said the friendship between the Italian and Chinese people "is not in question", but "I think it is important to show that you can stay friends while criticising some things".

The deputy mayor, #LauraCastelletti, earlier tweeted that "For us art and freedom of expression are an essential combination".

#Italy #FreedomOfExpression

Source: Stand News, #Oct23 https://thestandnews.page.link/PHgLpzQ5HDsT9fKR8

#Oppression
Self-exiled Hong Kong democrat faces four more court charges

#TedHui, a self-exiled democrat and former Hong Kong legislator, wrote on his Facebook page on October 23 that the Hong Kong authorities have charged him with four counts of contempt of court. Hui was summoned for a court hearing on 31 January 2022.

In response to the new charges, Hui denounced the Hong Kong courts as “contemptible.”

He says that his contempt for the city's justice system fit the dictionary definition of the term, regarding it as something “lowly, insignificant, worthless or disgusting so as to despise it.”

He added that the authorities’ repeated accusations against him did not in any way undermine his personal freedom and #FreedomOfExpression at the international level.

Source: Stand News; #Oct23
https://thestandnews.page.link/VKFuMGPdm65K7L1Y9

#PoliceState #FreedomOfExpression
Four seniors arrested on suspicion of “seditious intent” for displaying banner demanding genuine universal suffrage in Hong Kong

The group of older pro-democracy activists, between the ages of 61 to 85, was reportedly standing next to a yellow banner displaying the words “I want genuine universal suffrage,” the central slogan of the 2014 Umbrella Movement which saw thousands occupy the city’s main streets to demand wider democracy.

The group has held vigil regularly in Mong Kok, Hong Kong. Two members of the group were seen wearing yellow-coloured clothing, a symbol of the city’s flagging pro-democracy movement.

#SeditiousIntent #HKProtest #Oppression #FreedomOfSpeech #GuiltOfWords

Source: HKFP; #Nov2
https://hongkongfp.com/2021/11/02/hong-kong-police-arrest-4-for-seditious-intent-over-banner-calling-for-democracy/

#PillarOfShame #Censorship
Danish Sculptor seeks immunity from Hong Kong's National Security Law

Danish artist Jens Galschiot created the Pillar of Shame, a statue that commemorates democracy students and citizens who died on June 4, 1989 during Beijing’s brutal crackdown. The University of Hong Kong (#HKU), where the statue was displayed, has earlier demanded its removal from the campus.

The artist has asked Hong Kong authorities for immunity from the #NationalSecurityLaw so that he can take the statue back to Denmark.

In an open letter issued on November 12, 2021, #JensGalschiot said he is willing to take the statue back to Denmark, but he needs to be in the city to make sure it is dismantled properly without causing significant and irreparable damage to the costly sculpture.

Galschiot also called for assurances that he and his colleagues would not be prosecuted under the national security law.

#Sculpture #NSL #Art #FreedomOfExpression #TiananmenMassacre #June4 #Denmark

Source: Citizen News; #Nov12
https://www.hkcnews.com/article/47611/%E9%AB%98%E5%BF%97%E6%B4%BBjens_galschi%C3%B8t-%E5%9C%8B%E6%AE%A4%E4%B9%8B%E6%9F%B1-%E9%A6%99%E6%B8%AF%E5%A4%A7%E5%AD%B8-47619/hku

#Art
#Brescia Exhibits #Badiucao's Artwork that Mocks Beijing’s #Propaganda

Defying the calls of the Chinese government to cancel an exhibition in a northern Italian city, #Brescia is hosting the first international solo exhibition by the 35-year-old artist, #Badiucao, an exile from China who now lives in Australia.

Displaying a torture instrument such as a rocking chair, dissident artist Badiucao mocks the propaganda of Beijing in this exhibition named “China is (not) near”.

The show denounces political repression in China and the country’s censorship of the origin of #Covid19.

Beijing responded to the exhibition in anger, accusing Badiucao’s works of being “full of anti-Chinese lies” that “jeopardise the friendly relations between China and Italy”. The PRC's embassy in Rome sent a letter to Brescia’s town hall.

Deputy Mayor #LauraCastelletti responded, “None of us in Brescia, neither in the city council nor among the citizens, had the slightest doubt about this exhibition going ahead.”

"Brescia, known for its Roman ruins, has a long tradition of welcoming dissidents, painters and writers, in defence of artistic freedom”, she added.

In an interview, Badiucao, who is nicknamed the Chinese #Banksy said he is “very happy and proud” that the city “had the courage to say ‘no’ to China to defend fundamental rights.”

Source: Radio Free Asia; #Nov13
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/Xinwen/11-11132021172450.html/ampRFA

#ProtestArt #WolfWarrior #FreedomofExpression #Creativity #Italy #NoToChina #Culture #Exhibition

#Oppression #CCPRule
Over 1,000 convicted for partaking pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong

#HKProtest #AntiExtradition #FreedomofExpression

Source: Inmediahk; #Apr6

Read more
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#Oppression CCPRule
Over 1,000 convicted for partaking pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong

According to the latest data released by the Hong Kong Police Force, as of January 31, 2022, a total of 10,277 people have been arrested in relation to the anti-Extradition movement in 2019. Among them, 2,810 have been prosecuted.

Of the 1,858 people who have completed judicial proceedings, 1,465 were found legally liable for their offences, including 1,158 being convicted.

297 agreed to bind-over order, 6 minors were subjected to child protection order, leaving the remaining 4 being charged of "contempt of court" in civil procedure.

Among those being convicted, some were sentenced to a prison term from 4 days to 12 years. While some were granted suspended sentence from 12 to 24 months, for others various penalties were imposed, including community service order, restorative order, detention center order, rehabilitation order, reeducation order or training centre order.

Besides, there were 85 cases linked to the National Security Law, the inquest of 64 cases have reportedly been completed.

#HKProtest #AntiExtradition #FreedomofExpression

Source: Inmediahk; #Apr6
https://bit.ly/3xblSQq

Hong Kong Man Arrested for Sedition Outside British Consulate after Playing Songs while Mourning the Queen

Large crowds of Hongkongers gathered outside the British Consulate in Central on Monday evening, as the Queen's state funeral took place in London at the same time. Many lit candles in remembrance of the late queen.

One man brought his harmonica and allegedly performed various songs, including #GodSaveTheQueen and #GloryToHongKong. This reportedly caused a commotion in the gathered crowd, and the police arrested him after around half an hour.

Police announced today (20th) that the man was suspected to have taken actions with seditious intent, and is currently under arrest for investigation.

source: Hong Kong Economic Times #Sep20

https://topick.hket.com/article/3357355/【英女王逝世】43歲男昨悼念疑奏英國國歌及榮光等歌曲%E3%80%80涉作出具煽動意圖行為被捕

editor's note: The sedition law, under which the man was charged, dated back to Hong Kong's colonial days. Britain has repealed the offence of seditious libel in 2009. In July 2022, the UN Human Rights Committee had urged Hong Kong to abolish its sedition law as well as the National Security Law as they violated the freedom of expression in the city.

see also: Explainer: Hong Kong’s sedition law – a colonial relic revived after half a century (Hong Kong Free Press)
https://hongkongfp.com/2022/07/30/explainer-hong-kongs-sedition-law-a-colonial-relic-revived-after-half-a-century/

#Sedition #FreedomOfExpression #FreedomOfSpeech