Protest in Hong Kong

The remarks were made at a special “meeting” of police unions discussing means to help the jailed seven police officers who beat up a protester during the 2014 Occupy protest.

“How I would describe it is: it’s like in the second world war. We are Jews, and we are being persecuted. We are like the Jews being persecuted by the Nazi armies. Am I right?” he said.

The crowd then shouted “yes!” Organisers claimed that 38,000 attended the rally at its peak.

A rally was held in front of the Hong Kong government building on Sunday evening. Police say about 2,000 demonstrators took part.

The by-election has been scheduled for March, since a court disqualified 4 legislators from serving in the assembly last year. The 4 are critical of the Chinese government.

Agnes Chow, a 21-year-old university student, registered her candidacy earlier this month.

She is an executive member of a pro-democracy party, which advocates holding a referendum to decide Hong Kong's administrative system for the future.

Authorities on Saturday declared her candidacy invalid, since her party's insistence on the referendum infringes on Hong Kong's constitution. Senior government officials supported the decision.

Speaking at Sunday's rally, Chow called on people to retain their will and strength, and take the difficult path toward democracy.

The participants voiced concerns that the Chinese and Hong Kong governments are stepping up pressure on pro-democracy movements.

A participant in his 50s told NHK that the decision to disqualify Chow is absurd and unfair, and that Hong Kong's government is merely a puppet for Beijing.

Lau Hong, 16, was also required to receive psychological counselling and to participate in community activities. The recommendation for probation was made by the Young Offender Assessment Panel and a probation officer.

“Are you willing to accept the probation?” Magistrate Veronica Heung Shuk-han asked.

“Yes,” Lau replied in the dock, frowning.

The Secondary Six student had shaved his hair in the three weeks he spent in Pik Uk Correctional Institution, where he had been remanded since being found guilty last month of possessing an imitation firearm, an offence punishable by two years’ imprisonment.

The Eastern Court heard Lau was intercepted by police in Admiralty last December 12 while wearing a hood and a face mask, and carrying a cross-body bag containing an eight-inch air pistol with a loaded magazine, a bottle of 1,000 yellow plastic pellets and five “Hong Kong is not China” stickers.

About 50 metres away was a protest staged by the pan-democrats against a Legco debate that was under way to change its rules of procedure to curb filibustering. Student protester carried airgun for ‘self defence’, court hears

Lau testified that he joined the protest only to take pictures, and that he had a habit of carrying the air pistol all the time because he was worried he might be attacked for supporting Hong Kong independence.

But the magistrate rejected his self defence claims and concluded that the teenager had carried an offensive weapon for the purpose of committing a crime.

Sentencing reports ordered by the court recommended probation and a stint at a training centre or rehabilitation centre. The reports stated Lau was unsuited for a detention centre because of a medical condition.

Defence counsel Poon Siu-bunn urged the magistrate to adopt the recommendation for probation, arguing that his client was a disciplined 16-year-old with good grades and that he had received support from his mother and older sister.

“There’s room in this case to give more weight to rehabilitation over deterrence,” Poon said.

The magistrate replied: “The case is, without doubt, a serious one.”

But she considered Lau’s young age and that he had already reflected on his behaviour during his three weeks in remand.

“The court believes with suitable counselling and supervision ... your chance of reoffending is low,” Heung continued. “I hope you will cherish this opportunity.”

Lau had no previous convictions.

He first made headlines last November for brandishing a pro-independence banner during a photo opportunity with Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor.

Amendments to the Legco rule book were passed on December 15.

Semi-autonomous Hong Kong enjoys freedoms unseen on the mainland including freedom of expression but the space for political dissent is shrinking in the face of an increasingly assertive China under President Xi Jinping.

Police sought a ban in July on the Hong Kong National Party (HKNP), a well-known but small group with a core membership of around a dozen, which promotes the city's independence from China.

The bid was slammed by rights groups and Britain's foreign office, which said Hong Kong's rights must be respected.

On Monday, Hong Kong's security bureau announced it had upheld the police request and would ban the party under the Societies Ordinance, which stipulates groups can be prohibited in the interests of national security and public safety.

"I hereby order that the operation or continued operation of the Hong Kong National Party in Hong Kong to be prohibited," a notice from the security minister said on a government website.

HKNP leader Andy Chan said he would not immediately comment on the decision.

Activists calling for Hong Kong's independence from China emerged after mass pro-democracy rallies in 2014 failed to win reforms.

But pro-independence campaigners including Chan have since been blocked from standing for office and others disqualified from the legislature.

Leading independence activist Edward Leung was jailed for six years in June on rioting charges after clashes with police in 2016.

HKNP has lost momentum over the past two years as the government seeks to muzzle pro-independence sentiment.

However, the party was launched back into the headlines after police sought the ban, with Chan giving a high-profile talk at the city's press club which Chinese authorities demanded should be cancelled.

Chan described Beijing as Hong Kong's "colonial master" in his speech to a packed audience at the Foreign Correspondents' Club in August.

China's ministry of foreign affairs had asked the FCC to pull the talk but it refused, saying that different views should be heard in any debate.

The Hong Kong government said that while it backed freedom of speech and the press, allowing Chan to speak contravened the city's mini-constitution.