Joshua Wong seized my water bottle and obstructed my work, Hong Kong policeman tells court
Sergeant testifies the former Occupy movement leader drew an angry crowd during a heated June 2014 encounter
A sergeant claimed Joshua Wong Chi-fung prevented him from carrying out duties because the former Scholarism convenor seized a water bottle meant for recycling and drew an angry crowd during a protest on Beijing’s white paper in June 2014.
The Eastern Court case centred on the burning of a prop of Beijing’s white paper – addressing the extent of Hong Kong’s autonomy – outside the central government’s liaison office in the city’s Western district on June 11, 2014.
Four men were arrested 13 months later for allegedly obstructing police: League of Social Democrats vice-chairman Raphael Wong Ho-ming, 27, Chan, 61, Demosisto chairman Nathan Law Kwun-chung, 23, and the new party’s secretary Joshua Wong, 19. All four earlier denied the charges.
Sergeant Lai Kin-man, who was not in uniform on the day in question, testified on Wednesday that he tried to douse the fire with water from a bottle, saying the tall open flames posed a danger to those nearby.
He said he called out his identity as he moved forward in the crowd, but that Chan and Raphael Wong used their right hands to block him. He said he therefore made a second attempt to proceed before the fire was ultimately put out by a colleague with a fire extinguisher.
