Jackie Chen, a social worker in Hong Kong, has been found guilty of rioting over her role in the 2019 pro-democracy protests.
Chen, who would often carry a loudspeaker and try to mediate between the protesters and the police, maintained that she was trying to de-escalate tensions, but authorities accused her of inciting resistance.
The 2019 protests erupted in response to a controversial extradition bill, which later expanded into a broader pro-democracy movement.
Hong Kong introduced a sweeping national security law in 2020, leading to mass arrests and prosecutions. Nearly 3,000 people have been found guilty in connection with the protests over the last five years.
What else do we know about the charges against Chen?
Chen was initially acquitted in 2020, but her case was retried after prosecutors won an appeal.
On Tuesday, Deputy District Judge May Chung ruled that Chen had shouted ”provocative” words, suggesting that she implied police had used excessive force.
The judge stated that Chen’s actions had strengthened the confidence of protesters to resist law enforcement.
”Through her words and acts, [Chen] expressed her support of the protesters… which bolstered their determination and confidence to resist the police,” the judge wrote.
She added that circumstantial evidence overwhelmingly indicated Chen intended to participate in the riot.
After the verdict was announced, Chen shouted to her supporters in the public gallery that she will be ok.
Under Hong Kong’s legal framework, rioting charges carry a maximum sentence of seven years in prison.
After the verdict, Chen remained defiant, telling her supporters in the courtroom to ”take care.”
Before the hearing, she told the French AFP news agency, ”Just because [the government] disagrees with us, that doesn’t mean we did anything wrong.”
Chen has been remanded in custody until her sentencing, scheduled for April 9.
Edited by: Saim Dušan Inayatullah
