HK police arrest 8 for protests on campus

Hong Kong police said on Monday that they have arrested eight people linked to illegal activities on the campus of Chinese University of Hong Kong.

The arrested, all male aged between 16 to 34, are students, community workers and district council members, according to the department for safeguarding national security of the Hong Kong Police Force.

They are suspected of participating in an unauthorized assembly, and three of them were also suspected of inciting secession as they shouted and displayed “Hong Kong independence” slogans, the police said, adding the arrests were made after obtaining relevant evidence.

Some people, on the pretext that they were dissatisfied the CUHK moved the graduation ceremony online in response to epidemic prevention needs, initiated a rally of nearly 100 people on campus on November 19 without permission, during which a few people defaced and damaged properties and indulged in criminal damage.

“We only arrested those who were shouting slogans, displaying flags that involved national security concerns,” Steve Li, senior superintendent of police, told media.

Arthur Yeung, a graduate from the university who also ran in the city’s district council elections last year, is apparently among those arrested. A post on Yeung’s Facebook page said he was arrested on Monday morning.

Two district councillors, Isaac Lee and Eason Chan, were also arrested, according to posts on their respective Facebook pages.