13 jailed for rioting in Yau Ma Tei in 2019
Thirteen people have been jailed for between 29 and 63 months for rioting in Yau Ma Tei in 2019. Among the defendants was Kok Tsz-lun, who was among the 12 people who tried to flee to Taiwan by speedboat and were intercepted by the mainland coastguard in 2020. The 13 either were found guilty of or admitted to rioting in Yau Ma Tei on November 18, 2019, when large-scale conflicts took place in the vicinity of the Polytechnic University. Deputy District Judge Veronica Heung described the scene as a small battlefield, saying a thousand protestors gathered in the area - outnumbering the 200 policemen - and threw more than 250 petrol bombs in around 50 minutes. She said while there was no evidence showing the defendants took a leading role in the riot, the seriousness of the case can't be determined by their actions alone. The judge said traffic was severely disrupted, public peace was breached, and it was lucky that no one was hurt by the petrol bombs.  Heung said the offence was premeditated and the court doesn't condone violence.