Hong Kong’s Occupy leaders on trial: who they are and what they’re accused of

(L to R) Chan Kin-man, supporter of Occupy Movment (unnamed), Benny Tai Yiu-ting, Raphael Wong Ho-ming and Lee WIng-tat arrive at West Kowloon Law Courts.

Prosecutors have spelt out the allegations facing each of the nine key figures accused of organising the pro-democracy protests in 2014

Benny Tai Yiu-ting, 54, associate law professor at the University of Hong Kong

Photo: Dickson Lee/SCMP

Charges: One of conspiracy to cause public nuisance, one of inciting others to cause public nuisance, and one of inciting people to incite others to cause public nuisance

Allegations: Prosecutors said Tai joined the rest of the founding trio to hold a press conference on March 27 in 2013, when they began to talk about “Occupy Central with Love and Peace”. During the meeting, he read out the campaign’s manifesto.

“If the authorities concerned show no regard for the democratic demand of the citizens and bring up some election methods which do not meet the international standards of universal suffrage, we shall, at a suitable time, carry out civil disobedience in terms of ‘Occupy Central’,” he also said.

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Tai continued to make public speeches with Chan and Chu in relation to the campaign in the months that followed, until the actual protests in 2014.

In the early morning of September 28, he took to a stage at a protest site in Admiralty to declare: “Occupy Central formally begins!”

Tai asked protesters if they were ready for the “banquet” – which prosecutors said was a code word for the movement – and urged others to “fortify the defence” at the protest site at Tim Mei Avenue.

The prosecutors said that in October, Tai was still urging protesters to come to the Admiralty and saying that he would stay for the demonstration.

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Chan Kin-man, 59, outgoing associate sociology professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong

Photo: Dickson Lee/SCMP

Charges: One of conspiracy to cause public nuisance, one of inciting others to cause public nuisance, and one of inciting people to incite others to cause public nuisance

Allegations: At the same 2013 press conference, Chan told participants not to put up resistance if they were to be arrested during the movement.

On later occasions, he went on to talk about the concept of civil disobedience. He described it as an “active refusal by the citizens to abide by unreasonable laws … without turning to violent means”.

On September 28, when Tai declared the start of the movement, Chan told the crowd to take part in civil disobedience. He also told them if police resorted to tear gas, he and others would tell them where to gather next. He was still involved in making announcements in October, the prosecutors suggested.

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Chu Yiu-ming, 74, reverend

Photo: Dickson Lee/SCMP

Charges: One of conspiracy to cause public nuisance, one of inciting others to cause public nuisance and one of inciting people to incite others to cause public nuisance

Allegations: When he met reporters on March 27, 2013 with Chan and Tai, Chu said that by breaking the law, one could show how unjust a system was.

He turned up at other talks and press interviews, where he publicly discussed the movement with the other two founders. He said he was willing to take part in the civil disobedience act with others. In October, Chu took to the stage at the Admiralty protest with Chan and Tai, where he was praised by others for his role in the movement.

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