Hong Kong protests: Joshua Wong and other pro-democracy figures arrested
Several prominent pro-democracy figures have been arrested in Hong Kong in an
apparent crackdown on protests
that have plunged the city into its worst political crisis in decades. The democracy
activists Joshua Wong and Agnes Chow, former student leaders of pro-democracy
protests in 2014, were arrested on Friday and Andy Chan, head of a now banned
pro-independence party, was detained by police on Thursday.
The arrests come
before a rally planned for Saturday that has now been called off out of concern
that police will arrest participants en masse. On an online forum, some have
called for demonstrators to come out anyway. Many expect the arrests will only
generate more public anger and clashes with police in the days ahead.
On Friday morning,
Wong was bundled into a van on the street while he was talking to a subway
station, according to Wong and Chow’s political organisation, Demosisto. Chow
was arrested at home, while Chan, in a separate incident, was detained at Hong Kong airport. Chow and Wong were
arrested on suspicion of participating and inciting others to participate in an
unauthorised assembly during protests outside police headquarters on 21 June.
Wong has also been accused of organising an unlawful assembly... read more:
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