From HKFP…
An elderly activist who took banners to a Hong Kong park did not breach the law because his act of displaying them was not permanent, his lawyer has argued.
Chan Ki-kau, 78, appeared at the Kowloon City Magistrates’ Courts on Wednesday morning to hear the closing arguments from the prosecution and the defence. He is on trial for allegedly violating country park laws after displaying banners atop Lion Rock with a Chinese phrase that suggests standing firm when faced with condemnation last September.
Under the Country Parks and Special Areas Regulations, visitors cannot display signs, notices, posters, banners or advertisements in places under the regulations unless they have permission.
Chan’s lawyer refers to a 2021 court ruling that a law against displaying unauthorized posters on streets applied only to items displayed with ‘a degree of permanence and habitual regularity’. The prosecutor disagrees, pointing out that that was a different ordinance, and banners etc could ‘create a disturbance or affect the environment in a country park’ – such as a tour guide’s flag.
Except tour guides can and do wave their little flags when escorting groups around country parks. Also seen in such locations: large, garish banners saying ‘Happy Birthday’ erected by a group of picnickers. Yet the perpetrators mysteriously never end up in court.
Chan came to the attention of the public (and presumably authorities) as a supporter of youngsters during the protests. At Lion Rock, he held up scrolls with a couplet by Lu Xun. Lu Xun is, apparently, ‘complicated’ these days. The early 20th-century writer was admired by Mao and is regarded as pro-revolutionary. But Hong Kong’s Central public library pulled his works from the shelves along with George Orwell’s apparently for some sort of NatSec reasons a couple of years ago. HKFP adds…
Chan faces a fine of up to HK$2,000 or three years’ imprisonment.
Maybe a senior citizen who can climb up to Lion Rock at the age of 78 deserves a medal.
Lu Xun books available to borrow from HK Library – check it out:
https://www.hkpl.gov.hk/en/index.html
Mr, Chan was holding the banners, he did not affix them.
His action was not witnessed by any official
The stock response to complaints about lack of action re the posters of RE agents, gyms, massage services and various other activities displayed city wide on street signs, public facility boxes, poles, traffic lights, etc causing significant wear and tear, is that the perpetrator has to be physically spotted in the act.
Some of above certainly qualify for ‘a degree of permanence and habitual regularity’ as they cannot be easily removed and are repeatedly posted over many years.
Mr. Chan is no more guilty than a student holding a stuffed toy in front of a university sign on graduation day.
The charge is yet another example of the vindictive abuse of power that has become pervasive.
Mary tells it like it is once more
It’s possible that pointing out the regime’s contradiction-laden hypocrisy and pretzel-logic justifications for imposing its will whenever and however it pleases without regard to the actual laws on the books may have some salutary effect somewhere in the universe, but I’ve yet to see it.
Verdict first, trial afterwards is a powerful operating principle that literally brooks no opposition.
@Stanley Liberty
Gotta love that “Dual State” we have going on here eh?
And the same day that our tax demands were dropped into the mail box, yet another example of how our tax dollars are being diverted to enabling vindictive abuse of power while funding for social services is being reduced.
https://hongkongfp.com/2024/10/31/6-hong-kong-pro-democracy-activists-fined-for-unauthorised-fundraising-as-4-plead-not-guilty/
Six members of the pro-democracy League of Social Democrats (LSD) have been fined up to HK$1,000 for raising funds and displaying banners without a permit.
No wonder there is a backlog in our courts
From @Mary’s link to the LSD persecution case:
“on government land” -> “on public land”
There, fixed it for you.
There a many brave HKers still brave enough to resist the legal and police power thuggery of the Secretary of Security and HKP
The total number of local companies registered under the Companies Ordinance was 1,430,758 by the end of 2023
So it is nothing short of miraculous that the authorities could pin point only two that were not keeping registers at their offices.
https://hongkongfp.com/2024/11/07/hong-kong-independent-outlet-inmedia-fined-hk10000-after-being-reported-for-not-keeping-registers-at-office/
This in a city where every day there are reports of shell companies established for the sole purpose of fleecing the government via the far too numerous pork belly programmes launched in response to the bleatings of the political parties.