Hong Kong social worker who mediated 2019 anti-government protests convicted for rioting News
Cypp0847, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Hong Kong social worker who mediated 2019 anti-government protests convicted for rioting

A Hong Kong District Court on Tuesday convicted social worker Jackie Chen of “rioting.” Chen mediated between the protesters and the police during the 2019 anti-government protests in Hong Kong, and urged the police not to fire non-lethal bullets. She also called on them to maintain peace.

The judgment follows an appeal by the Secretary of Justice against a 2020 order. That order had exonerated Chen of all charges after a finding that the prosecution had failed to prove its case. Judge May Chung, who delivered the current judgment, ruled that Chen’s words were “provocative.” She stated that Chen implied the police were using excessive force and encouraged protesters to resist. “Through the aforementioned means to gather together with other rioters, thereby encouraged other rioters to commit acts that disturb social peace,” she wrote. The court thus held that the only reasonable inference was that Chen intended to participate in the riot.

The maximum sentence for rioting is 10 years in Hong Kong, and is capped at seven years in the District Courts. Moreover, per amendments made last year, social workers can lose their license upon conviction with an offense punishable by imprisonment, which puts Chen at risk of losing her livelihood.

The 2019 anti-government protests marked the second-largest challenge to the government after the protests held in 1997. The 2019 protests started in response to a proposed extradition law that would have allowed criminal suspects in Hong Kong to be sent to mainland China for trial. The government later withdrew the bill. However, protesters broadened their demands to include direct elections for the city’s leaders and greater police accountability. In reaction to the unrest, Beijing implemented a national security law to restore order.

The present conviction stands out, especially given Chen’s minimal and peaceful involvement in the 2019 incident. It highlights the spree of convictions that have taken over Hong Kong over the last five years, noting mass convictions of pro-democracy activists.

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