HONG KONG—A Hong Kong court on Thursday found teen protest leader Joshua Wong guilty of taking part in an illegal rally that sparked massive student-led prodemocracy street protests two years ago.
The 19-year-old Wong tweeted that he “was found guilty of the charge of participating unlawful assembly by court of Hong Kong.” A magistrate handed dawn the verdict for Wong and two other young student leaders, Nathan Law and Alex Chow, following a trial earlier this year.
Chow was convicted of the same charge, while Law was found guilty of inciting others to join an illegal assembly, according to local media reports. Wong, who faces up to five years in prison, said they would be sentenced on August 15.
The three were charged with storming into a courtyard dubbed Civic Square beside the Hong Kong overnment complex on September 26, 2014, to protest Beijing’s decision to restrict elections for the southern Chinese city’s top leader.
Huge crowds of demonstrators turned out to demand their release after they were detained by police, who responded two days later with volleys of tear gas. The move backfired, driving even more protesters to take to the streets, where they remained for 79 days to press their demands for greater democracy.
Image credits: AP/Vincent Yu