[UPDATED] Demosisto responds to Joshua Wong, Alex Chow and Nathan Law's jail sentences for involvement in Occupy Central
Verdict supplant earlier ruling of community service by local court, as three activists are taken into custody immediately to begin serving their sentences
(L-R) Joshua Wong, Nathan Law and Alex Chow received jail sentences in the new ruling. [UPDATE: 5.30pm, August 17, Thursday]
In a statement, Demosisto said they believe that the Department of Justice's comparison of the Umbrella Movement with a riot is "an immense humiliation to all the participants in the Movement."
They stated that before resorting to civil disobedience in September 2014, the students had exhausted every possible way within the establishment and "it is a shame that the government responded to the demands for democracy with indifference and arrogance."
The group also pointed out that they already had three members behind the bars since "Xi Jinping's rise to power" and "the Hong Kong government's ever-growing restrictions on civil and political rights."
Speaking before the hearing, Law slammed prosecutors for branding the participants of the non-violent Occupy movement as thugs.
“I have no regrets about ... fighting for the justice and values that I believe in,” Law said.
Wong said: “When even those young people in prisons do not give up, there is no excuse for others to give up.”
“I hope to see a hopeful Hong Kong when I am out [of prison] next year,” he added. “Keep up the fight. We love Hong Kong.”
[4.50pm, August 17, Thursday]
Three Occupy activists who stormed government headquarters and triggered a 79-day protest in 2014 received six to eight month jail sentences on Thursday after prosecutors launched a successful bid for a harsher punishment from the Court of Appeal.
The court ruled that Joshua Wong Chi-fung and Alex Chow Yong-kang would receive six and seven month sentences respectively, for taking part in an unlawful assembly, whereas Nathan Law Kwun-chung was sentenced to eight months for taking part or inciting others to partake in an unlawful assembly.
All three activists were taken into custody immediately to begin serving their sentences.
They were convicted last August of either taking part or inciting others to take part in an unlawful assembly when protesters stormed the government headquarters on September 26, 2014. Demosisto leaders Law and Wong were sentenced by a local court to 80 and 120 hours of community service respectively, while Chow, the formerly student union chief, was given a three-week jail term, suspended for one year.
Presiding magistrate June Cheung Tin-ngan took a lenient and understanding attitude towards the young trio last August, who she said held genuine political ideals.
However, government prosecutors brought the case to the Court of Appeal again last week, arguing that the sentence was insufficient and would send the wrong message to the public, especially young people.