Hong Kong: Pro-democracy leader Joshua Wong has been detained and sent to police custody on Monday after pleading guilty in a case related to a protest against the Chinese government in front of the city’s police headquarters that took place last year. Along with Joshua, his friends and activists, Ivan Lam and Agnes Chow have also been detained for protesting and organising crowds against China and Hong Kong authorities.
Before leaving court, Wong shouted: “Everyone hang in there, add oil,” using a common protest cry.
The 24-year-old Joshua Wong, who has been a major headache for Chinese authorities for a long time, may face a penalty of up to five years in prison.
After pleading guilty by the court, Wong urged people to focus on the plight of Hong Kong 12, the group accused of attempting to travel illegally to Taiwan by boat in August.
Earlier, before entering the courtroom on Monday, Wong had said “I am persuaded that, neither prison bars, nor election bans, nor any other arbitrary powers would stop us from activism. What we are doing now is to explain the value of freedom to the world.”
Thousands of protesters have been arrested and many have left the city since China imposed its new security law in Hong Kong this year in summer.
Who is Joshua Wong?
Joshua Wong is a pro-democracy activist, who has been fighting against China and Beijing’s puppet Hong Kong authorities over the past several years. Wong, who was first arrested at the age of 17, has been under the radar of Chinese intelligence for the past long time. He has been constantly urging the world community to speak out against Chinese authorities in Hong Kong.