US talk show host Conan O’Brien joked about the Hong Kong protester who was sent to jail for assaulting a police officer with her breast, on his TBS programme, which aired yesterday morning Hong Kong time.

He told the studio audience that “in Hong Kong a woman was sent to prison for assaulting a police officer with her breast,” before wryly adding: “The police officer is demanding an apology and that she do it again.”


「以胸襲警」令香港一再揚威海外「以胸襲警案」令香港一再揚威海外,今晚連Conan O’Brien都用來講笑,形容胸部好似雙節棍…… 唉……#反對女性胸部被視為攻擊性武器#黑警老屈 #裁判官亂判 #香港法治已死

Posted by 吳文遠 on Tuesday, 4 August 2015

He then states: “I don’t even understand how… I mean i understand how technically…”

Sidekick Andy Richter then chips in and says, “It’s probably some martial arts things”, before O’Brien asks, “What, nunchuks with the breast?”

Thirty-year-old Ng Lai-ying was sentenced to three months and 15 days behind bars on July 30 after being convicted of assaulting Chief Inspector Chan Ka-po at an anti-parallel trader protest on March 1.

More than 100 demonstrators rallied outside Hong Kong’s police headquarters in Wan Chai on Sunday to protest against the decision sporting bras and chanting “breasts are not weapons!” and “shame on the government!”.

male protesters wearing bras in support
Male protesters also turned up to the rally wearing bras in support of Ng Lai-ying. Photo: Eva Ho.

Kris Cheng is a Hong Kong journalist with an interest in local politics. His work has been featured in Washington Post, Public Radio International, Hong Kong Economic Times and others. He has a BSSc in Sociology from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Kris is HKFP's Editorial Director.