Mini Protest Outside of Court

A sea of people clad in black wait outside West Kowloon Court

Hundreds of Hongkongers dressed in black came out in support of the 47 charged with subversion under the national security law. Some of the even lined up at 9pm the night before to be able to go into the court room. Even if they couldn't get in they stayed outside the West Kowloon Court as a sign that the pro-democratic movement has not wavered.

They shouted slogans, like "Five demands not one less!", "Hongkongers add oil!", and "Hongkongers revenge!" that haven't been heard for about a year. 

Some diplomats tried to get into the court today

"Hong Kong people are so angry. No other protests can happen, so we come here. The new law forbids everything else," said Wong Tin-yan, a district councillor, who was standing outside the court.

Consular officials from Canada, United States, United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden and Australia tried to get into the courtroom, but were not able to.

Even at 10.30pm only six of the 47 had their lawyers complete their bail applications.  It's going to be a long night for everyone. 

Already the prosecutors have asked for an extra three months to complete their investigation, which means three more months of sitting in jail for the defendants. Paul Harris, one of the defense lawyers said if prosecutors move fast to charge someone, then they should also ensure a speedy trial.

But it seems Beijing has already decided the verdict even before the trials have begun.

Where is the rule of law here? Innocent before proven guilty?

Benny Tai being brought to court

Head of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office Xia Baolong said in a speech that media publisher Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, Joshua Wong Chi-fung, and Benny Tai Yiu-ting should be "severely punished" for "instigating riots with extremely notorious acts".

"The small minority of people who called for foreign forces to interfere with Hong Kong affairs... are destroyers of 'one country, two systems''; we must not allow them to gain any of Hong Kong's public power," Xia was quoted as saying in pro-Beijing Bauhinia Magazine.

"[They] should not be merely banned from infiltrating any public office in Hong Kong, but also strictly punished in accordance with the law for their illegal acts... The minority of people who oppose China and mess up Hong Kong will only cause disasters, including destruction, instability and terror."

Xia paints a very dire picture, but since the national security law was implemented, there has been hardly any protests or gatherings due to the fear of arrests. 

And this charge of subversion? These 47 defendants participated in a primary to choose the best candidate to run for the Legislative Council elections that didn't happen because of the pandemic.

Many shouted slogans from the 2019 protests

So how is that be a crime?

Prosecutors are framing this as a plot to subvert Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor -- a violation of the national security law -- and so those involved must be prosecuted.

While the outlook is bleak, the fact that hundreds came out in support of the almost four dozen defendants is impressive and shows people are still willing to fight -- albeit cautiously in an increasingly repressive environment.