A social worker and rights activist was convicted on Tuesday of participating in a riot during Hong Kong’s 2019 pro-democracy protests.
Jackie Chen was one of several social workers who tried to mediate between police and demonstrators. She carried a loudspeaker and urged police to use restraint and to refrain from firing non-lethal bullets during a protest that took place on Aug. 31, 2019.
Police made more than 10,000 arrests during and after the 2019 protests, which began as a show of mass public anger at plans to allow the extradition of alleged criminal suspects to mainland China.
They broadened to include demands for fully democratic elections and greater official accountability.
Chen was acquitted in 2020, but prosecutors appealed and won a retrial in another example of the harsh stance that Hong Kong authorities have taken with political cases.
Before heading to Hong Kong district court for the verdict, Chen told Radio Free Asia that she felt “peaceful.”
“As long as my body is healthy, there are still a lot of things I can do,” she said. “So why not face it calmly?”
Later, she gathered with supporters in front of the court building while wearing a backpack, a sweatshirt with colorful drawings and a cheerful expression.
Judge May Chung wrote in her verdict that Chen used her position as a social worker to support the protesters and used the loudspeaker to shout unfounded accusations against the police.
Chen was taken into custody and is scheduled to be sentenced next month. She could face up to seven years in prison.
Edited by Matt Reed.
This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by RFA Cantonese.