An artist who tagged the word “Freedom” across Hong Kong some 130 times has been put on probation for a year, after telling police the graffiti was a response to financial pressure.
Chan King-fai, 40, was arrested in February for tagging objects including buildings, shops, fuse boxes and bridges across the city, as well as private vehicles, between January and February. Last month he admitted 20 counts of criminal damage.
Appearing before magistrate Peter Yu on Thursday morning, Chan apologised to the court, saying: “What I did caused a significant misunderstanding, which had an effect on public spending.”
“I want to say that I’m sorry, once again,” he said.
The graffiti, spotted in areas including Quarry Bay, Mong Kok and Fo Tan, depicted the Chinese characters for “freedom” combined with dollar signs.
Emotional outlet
Chan had earlier admitted under police caution that the declining economy took a hit on his income and savings, causing him to feel financial pressure. The graffiti was an emotional outlet that allowed him to express the importance of financial freedom.
Reports viewed by the court verified that the defendant was indeed an artist, and had apprenticeships under his belt to prove that he was familiar with street art techniques and other knowledge relevant to the discipline.
He also taught street art classes for five years and ran his own studio in 2017, Yu said.
“[The defendant] accepted that he had acted without thinking of the legal ramifications of his actions, and was eventually arrested,” he said.
“The court will give you one last chance,” Yu said, adding that a probation order would be the most suitable form of punishment.
The magistrate, taking into account the defendant’s remorse and guilty plea, handed down a 12-month probation order, during which he must attend counselling sessions mandated by his probation officer.
Chan has been ordered to pay HK$26,500 in compensation.
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