Hong Kong’s Secretary for Justice Paul Lam has condemned violence after a suspected projectile shattered a window at the West Kowloon Law Courts Building, as day three of the city’s largest national security trial was underway.
“I am immensely concerned about the incident, and strongly condemn any violent acts intended to disrupt or damage the due administration of justice,” Lam said in a statement on Wednesday night.
Officers deployed metal detectors and combed the area outside the building on Wednesday after a large glass window was broken. A close-up photo circulating on social media appeared to show a tiny hole in the window, in addition to the other damage.
The South China Morning Post quoted a police source as saying the damage was believed to have been caused by an airgun pellet. No pellet or other projectile has reportedly been found.
“In Hong Kong, where the rule of law is upheld, no act of violent attack or intimidation, which is against the courts or judicial officers, will be tolerated,” Lam added.
Police said they received a report about a broken two metre by five metre pane at the courthouse. Initial investigations suggested that somebody fired a projectile from the flyover opposite the court building at 1:17 p.m., causing the glass to break.
The incident was being investigated as a case of suspected criminal damage. No arrests have been made so far, police said, appealing for any witnesses to come forward.
The area has been cordoned off and repairs will be made in due course, the Judiciary said.
90-day trial
The building is the venue for the high-profile trial of 16 of the 47 democrats charged with taking part in a conspiracy to commit subversion linked to a primary election to select opposition election candidates in July 2020.
They stand accused of taking part in primary polls aimed at helping the pro-democracy camp secure a majority in an upcoming Legislative Council election and, if elected, to veto bills, force the chief executive to resign, and drive the government into a shutdown.
Another 31 democrats pleaded guilty earlier. The 47, including former lawmakers, ex-district councillors and activists, face up to life in prison if convicted.
The trial is being held before three hand-picked national security judges and no jury, a departure from Hong Kong’s common law legal system. It began on Monday and is expected to last 90 days.
In another development, suspicion has grown over people who have been queuing overnight for tickets to witness the trial but who have appeared to leave before hearings began. Many told reporters they did not know what trial they were in line for.
One man was repeatedly seen by HKFP obtaining tickets and leaving, as well as exchanging money with fellow courtgoers. When confronted by HKFP, he dismissed questions as “only allegations.”
The motives of those lining up are unclear, but there has been speculation that they are trying to block pro-democracy advocates from the public gallery. However, there have been no reports that activists have in practice been unable to secure a seat.
Subversion became illegal under Beijing’s sweeping national security legislation passed in June 2020 in the wake of months-long unrest sparked by an extradition bill, which was later scrapped, that would have allowed the transfer of fugitives to mainland China to stand trial.
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