Marching for Justice (Again)

A long procession of people in the law profession came out to march today

 

Today some 3,000 lawyers came out in the midday sun to participate in a silent march to protest the government's abuse of the rule of law in the past few weeks. This is the sixth time people in the law profession have come out to march since 1997, and the second time in two months on June 6.

A long steady stream of people in black suits and dresses walked from the Court of Final Appeal to the Department of Justice and demanded that Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah and Director of Prosecutions David Leung Cheuk-yin to come out to meet with them.

Martin Lee says no one is above the rule of law

However, they didn't come out (or maybe they were out for lunch?) and senior counsel and co-founder of the Civic Party Audrey Eu Yuet-mee suggested perhaps they were on strike which got cheers (or jeers) from the fellow marchers.

Several people made speeches, including Martin Lee Chu-ming.

"We are here to protect the rule of law. The rule of law means, most importantly, that we are all equal under the law," he said. "If people wearing black committed any criminal offenses, and you bring them to justice, that's fair. But why don't you do the same when the criminals are wearing white? It is in breach of the rule of law."

He was referring to the horrific and violent incident in Yuen Long on July 21 when men, some identified as triads, beat up commuters in the MTR station, some of whom had just come back from a protest march. Twenty-four of them were arrested for unlawful assembly but have yet to be charged.

This contrasts with 44 protesters who were charged with rioting on July 31, just days after the alleged incident.

Some 3,000 lawyers, prosecutors and students came out

Stephen Char Shik-ngor, a former investigator for the Independent Commission Against Corruption also voiced his concerns about how the Department of Justice is going about charging people.

"How can you charge people with rioting within 24 hours? Where have you got the evidence? While everybody saw on the TV the people beating up innocent people but they are not charged yet. So for the perception of the members of the public, this is selective prosecution," he said.

Some lawyers in the march are working pro bono for some of the protesters who are charged and urged others to volunteer their services as well. One local law firm that focuses on human rights issues has even published guidelines on its Facebook page, advising protesters what to do if they are arrested by the police, or are injured during the clashes with the authorities.

Hong Kong has devolved into practically a police state that the lawyers in today's march find it alarming.

"It has never happened before, and I think it is a very strong evidence that there has been a departure from normal procedures and guidelines," says Eu. "And for an important department like the Department of Justice -- I mean look at the word 'Justice' -- you really require the department always to be sticking to procedures, principles and due process. "

Last night in Sham Shui Po police station tear gas was fired

The highly respected former Executive Council member Denis Chan Khen-lee QC spoke in public since the protests began, urging the government to listen to the "silent scream" of the city's law profession.

"But we do not just scream. We want law, order, justice and peace," he said.

He added an independent investigation into the political crisis was necessary and warned that people in power are not above the rule of law. 

Meanwhile last night Baptist University student union president Keith Fong Chung-yin was arrested by the police in Sham Shui Po. His crime? Being in possession of 10 laser pointers. Where in the law is it a crime to have laser pointers that lecturers use?

No sooner had word gotten out that 300 residents and other concerned people come out to the Sham Shui Po police station to demand his release, including Baptist University President Roland Chin Ta-hong, and pan-democrat lawmaker Claudio Mo.

To poke fun at the police, a laser show at the Science Museum

However, when Mo was speaking to the gathered crowd, police began firing tear gas at them from inside the police station. That definitely inflamed the crowd and later on in social media people were making fun of the charges, saying pens and other stationary will be considered weapons as well.

Today the police claimed laser pointers were a weapon and demonstrated by shining it at very close range on a piece of paper that burned in 10 seconds. But someone on Twitter remarked that to get that close to a police officers, one would be tear gassed first...

So in protest, tonight a laser show was held outside the Science Museum in Tsim Sha Tsui. People shone laser pointers at it and sang music related to lasers.

Gotta love Hong Kong and Cantonese humour to make this crisis more bearable!