The Hong Kong District Court on Thursday found seven protesters guilty of rioting in relation to a violent incident at the Yuen Long subway station during the city’s anti-extradition movement in 2019.

The seven defendants, including former pro-democratic lawmaker Lam Cheuk-ting, were convicted of “rioting” for provoking a “white-clad gang” by throwing objects and spraying them with a fire hose on July 21, 2019. The “white-clad gang” is believed to have been an anti-protester formation, with the two groups taunting each other in the prelude to the violence. In the ruling, District Court Judge Stanley Chan stated that the gathering in which the groups confronted each other was not merely a coincidence but rather an unlawful assembly.

The court further observed that Lam handed his phone to an assistant for live-streaming at the time that things escalated, indicating an intention to capitalize on political gains rather than simply document the events. Considering Lam’s prominent position as a lawmaker, this likely increased the number of protesters entering the riot scene.

According to the prosecution, there were two “typhoons,” or angry crowds, in the scene at the subway station. The “white-clad gang,” armed with wooden poles and metal rods, lingered in the common area outside the subway gates. At the material time, black-clad protesters assembled inside the paid area of the station. The prosecution alleged that the black-clad group, which included the seven defendants, gathered with the intent to resist the white-clad gang, and that this gathering eventually escalated into a riot.

Most of the defendants argued that they acted in self-defense to prevent criminal activity and protect others. However, Judge Chan referenced the case HKSAR v Lo Kin Man and held that the only relevant test was whether the defendants initially gathered for the “common purpose” of the unlawful assembly, which gradually evolved into a riot. He also added that the defendants’ act of spraying the fire hoses on the white-shirted group was a form of provocation and attack rather than a defensive measure.

The ruling marks the second instance in which individuals not affiliated with the white-shirted group responsible for the Yuen Long mob attack have been convicted for their involvement in the events. On April 10, the District Court of Hong Kong sentenced accountant Jacky Ho Tsan-kei to 33 months in prison on rioting charges over throwing items at the white-shirted group.