A former student leader has been charged in relation to the storming of the Legislative Council building on July 1.
Althea Suen, the ex-president of the University of Hong Kong’s student union, was arrested on August 30 over the incident. She said in a Facebook post on Friday that after she made her regular report to the police that day, she was officially charged with “entering or remaining in precincts of Chamber” under the Legislative Council (Powers and Privileges) Ordinance.
Suen was also arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to destroy or damage property under the Crimes Ordinance but was not charged with the offence.
On July 1, hundreds of masked anti-government protesters broke into and vandalised the legislature in an escalation of events earlier in the day which saw police use pepper spray against crowds occupying thoroughfares in Admiralty.
Previously, Hong Kong police arrested four men in relation to the storming of the legislature, including a City University student journalist.
Suen’s case will be mentioned at the Eastern Magistrates’ Courts at 2pm next Monday.
Hong Kong has seen more than 100 days of demonstrations and unrest triggered by the soon-to-be-withdrawn extradition bill, which would have allowed case-by-case fugitive transfers to mainland China. Large-scale peaceful protests have morphed into sometimes violent displays of dissent over Beijing’s encroachment and alleged police brutality.
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