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Pro-democracy student activist Joshua Wong leaves Hong Kong prison and vows to join fight against controversial extradition bill
https://amp.scmp.com/news/hong-kong...student-activist-joshua-wong-leaves-hong-kong
Hong Kong student activist Joshua Wong Chi-fung, fresh out of jail on Monday, said he would join the fight of millions of Hongkongers against the highly contentious extradition bill until the government backs down.
The founder of political group Demosisto, who returned to prison in May to finish his two-month term for contempt of court, made the pledge as he was released from jail on Monday morning.
Wearing a white shirt and black trousers, he was greeted by more than 10 members of Demosisto who came to welcome him back to freedom at Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre.
A few middle-aged supporters were also there and shouted “I want true democracy!”, a signature slogan dating from the 2014 Occupy movement, of which Wong was a key figure.
He said he regretted missing the chance to fight alongside millions of Hongkongers who protested against the government’s proposed bill, which would allow the transfer of prisoners to jurisdictions Hong Kong currently lacks an extradition agreement with, including mainland China.
In a show of defiance, an estimated 2 million protesters poured onto the streets on Sunday, calling on Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor to go further than suspending the extradition bill and withdraw it completely.
The historic rally followed a massive demonstration last Sunday where organisers said over 1 million Hong Kong people marched against the unpopular bill, and the eruption of violent clashes between protesters and police last Wednesday, which the police characterised as a riot.
“I call on Carrie Lam to step down, completely withdraw the extradition bill and retract the definition of ‘riot’ for Wednesday’s confrontation … I will join the fight with Hong Kong people against the bill until the government backs down,” Wong said.
“Carrie Lam is not fit to be chief executive. When she was shedding tears on television, Hong Kong people were shedding blood in Admiralty.
“Through these protests, we tell the whole world that Hong Kong people won’t be silent under the suppression of President Xi Jinping and Carrie Lam … Even now she is still brazen-faced,” he said.
Wong, who later joined protesters outside the Legislative Council at around 2.30pm, was welcomed with a big round of applause as he stepped into the protest area of the complex in Admiralty.
“When I was in the prison, wearing the brown uniform and watching the live broadcast, I wanted to thank every person who worked together and fought against the evil extradition law,” Wong said.
“I am proud of every Hongkonger.”
Wong returned to jail last month despite winning an appeal for a lighter sentence over a conviction related to the 2014 Occupy protests.
The poster boy for the biggest civil disobedience movement in the city’s history was jailed for three months in January last year after pleading guilty to contempt of court for failing to leave a protest site which a court had ordered be cleared.
The 22-year-old lodged an appeal after being sentenced and was released on bail after six days in prison.
Last month the Court of Appeal reduced his term to two months, but refused to set aside the jail sentence.
The event for which Wong was jailed is largely a footnote in the history of the Occupy movement, during which pro-democracy protesters occupied major thoroughfares in various parts of Hong Kong for 79 days, in defiance of a restrictive framework Beijing handed down for the city’s leadership election.
Wong fell foul of the law for remaining in Mong Kok, one of the protest strongholds in Kowloon, on November 26, 2014, despite court orders, which had been sought by taxi and minibus groups to clear it.
https://amp.scmp.com/news/hong-kong...student-activist-joshua-wong-leaves-hong-kong
- The 22-year-old was released after month in prison and called on Chief Executive Carrie Lam to step down
- Wong had a three-month sentence for contempt of court reduced to two months and returned to prison in May
Hong Kong student activist Joshua Wong Chi-fung, fresh out of jail on Monday, said he would join the fight of millions of Hongkongers against the highly contentious extradition bill until the government backs down.
The founder of political group Demosisto, who returned to prison in May to finish his two-month term for contempt of court, made the pledge as he was released from jail on Monday morning.
Wearing a white shirt and black trousers, he was greeted by more than 10 members of Demosisto who came to welcome him back to freedom at Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre.
A few middle-aged supporters were also there and shouted “I want true democracy!”, a signature slogan dating from the 2014 Occupy movement, of which Wong was a key figure.
He said he regretted missing the chance to fight alongside millions of Hongkongers who protested against the government’s proposed bill, which would allow the transfer of prisoners to jurisdictions Hong Kong currently lacks an extradition agreement with, including mainland China.
In a show of defiance, an estimated 2 million protesters poured onto the streets on Sunday, calling on Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor to go further than suspending the extradition bill and withdraw it completely.
The historic rally followed a massive demonstration last Sunday where organisers said over 1 million Hong Kong people marched against the unpopular bill, and the eruption of violent clashes between protesters and police last Wednesday, which the police characterised as a riot.
“I call on Carrie Lam to step down, completely withdraw the extradition bill and retract the definition of ‘riot’ for Wednesday’s confrontation … I will join the fight with Hong Kong people against the bill until the government backs down,” Wong said.
“Carrie Lam is not fit to be chief executive. When she was shedding tears on television, Hong Kong people were shedding blood in Admiralty.
“Through these protests, we tell the whole world that Hong Kong people won’t be silent under the suppression of President Xi Jinping and Carrie Lam … Even now she is still brazen-faced,” he said.
Wong, who later joined protesters outside the Legislative Council at around 2.30pm, was welcomed with a big round of applause as he stepped into the protest area of the complex in Admiralty.
“When I was in the prison, wearing the brown uniform and watching the live broadcast, I wanted to thank every person who worked together and fought against the evil extradition law,” Wong said.
“I am proud of every Hongkonger.”
Wong returned to jail last month despite winning an appeal for a lighter sentence over a conviction related to the 2014 Occupy protests.
The poster boy for the biggest civil disobedience movement in the city’s history was jailed for three months in January last year after pleading guilty to contempt of court for failing to leave a protest site which a court had ordered be cleared.
The 22-year-old lodged an appeal after being sentenced and was released on bail after six days in prison.
Last month the Court of Appeal reduced his term to two months, but refused to set aside the jail sentence.
The event for which Wong was jailed is largely a footnote in the history of the Occupy movement, during which pro-democracy protesters occupied major thoroughfares in various parts of Hong Kong for 79 days, in defiance of a restrictive framework Beijing handed down for the city’s leadership election.
Wong fell foul of the law for remaining in Mong Kok, one of the protest strongholds in Kowloon, on November 26, 2014, despite court orders, which had been sought by taxi and minibus groups to clear it.
