Prominent activist Joshua Wong arrested in Hong Kong 



Pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong addresses the crowds outside the Legislative Council in Hong Kong on June 17. (Thomas Peter/Reuters)

Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong, the student leader of streets protests five years ago, was arrested Friday morning as he was walking to a subway station, his party said in a statement, and is being held on three charges. 

The party, Demosistō, did not immediately have details on his charges. A spokeswoman for the Hong Kong Police Force could not immediately confirm his arrest and the circumstances under which he was detained.

Wong was arrested at roughly 7:30 a.m. Friday “when he was suddenly pushed into a private car on the street,” his organization said. Demosistō, which Wong founded, said he is being held in the Hong Kong police headquarters in the Wan Chai neighborhood.

The group has sought help from its lawyers.

Wong rose to prominence as one of the young leaders of the 2014 Umbrella Movement, a 79-day street occupation aimed at securing universal suffrage for Hong Kong. He was charged and sentenced several times in connection with the 2014 protests, and served three short stints in jail. Most recently, on May 16, Wong was sentenced to two months in prison after losing an appeal against a prison term for contempt of court, and was released in June.

The ongoing protest movement in Hong Kong this time has taken a leaderless form — in part to avoid arrests and detention that plagued leaders like Wong in the past, and also to empower a broader base of participants. Demosistō members, unlike in 2014, have not delivered speeches at rallies or been prominent faces on the front lines, but have used the group’s social media presence to help the movement gain awareness, particularly in the international community. 

On Thursday night, another prominent activist, Andy Chan, was detained at Hong Kong airport while trying to board a plane. Chan, who founded a party that advocates for Hong Kong independence, was arrested in August on suspicion of possessing offensive weapons and bombmaking materials. 

Hong Kong police have arrested more than 800 people in connection with protests that have rocked the city since June, some of them on harsh riot charges. More protests and rallies are planned for this weekend, though police have declined to authorize them. 


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