Seven face trial over '721 rioting'

Michael Shum

A district court has found former Democratic Party lawmaker Lam Cheuk-ting and six others have a case to answer over their role in the Yuen Long MTR station riot during the 2019 unrest.

All seven except Lam, 43, were released on bail until their next appearance on March 5.

The other six are Yu Ka-ho, 35, Jason Chan Wing-hei, 37, Yip Kam-sing, 31, Kwong Ho-lam, 26, Wan Chung-ming, 48, and Marco Yeung Long, 26.

All seven have pleaded not guilty to rioting in October. They were accused of taking part in a riot in the lobby of Yuen Long MTR station on July 21, 2019, at the height of the unrest.

In court yesterday, Lam and Yeung asked judge Stanley Chan Kwong-chi to rule that they have no case to answer.

Lam's lawyer said whatever Lam did at the station, "in every word and behavior" were to protect people, who were returning to Yuen Long, for he feared they would be assaulted.

"I have to emphasize that [Lam] did not have an intention to riot," Lam's lawyer said.

Yeung's lawyer said Yeung was not the one shown in a video spraying with a fire hose at a group of people clad in white attire who had attacked people returning to Yuen Long that night.

"Yeung jumping over separation barriers in the station was to stop people from attacking those within paid areas of the station with umbrellas. He was not imitating, insulting or provoking anyone," the lawyer said.

The prosecution said not only did Lam's presence fail to cool things down at the station, his identity encouraged others to take part in the riot.

The judge rejected Lam and Yeung's application. "This case involves a lot of circumstantial evidence and video footage. If the case is to be heard by a jury, the evidence should be decided by the jury," he said.

The court heard all seven defendants would testify and that Lam would summon five witnesses, one of whom had obtained an anonymity order from the court and was allowed to use a special passageway.

Chan adjourned the case till March 5.

Lam remains in custody as he is among 47 politicians and activists charged with subversion under the national security law for participating in the pan-democracy camp's unofficial primary election ahead of the 2020 Legislative Council election.