Hong Kong woman, 21, charged over 2019 protests after returning from Australia

2026-03-10 - 04:27

A Hong Kong woman is facing charges stemming from the 2019 protests and unrest after returning from Australia – more than six years after her alleged offence took place. The scene of a protest on September 8, 2019, in Hong Kong’s Central. Protest continued into the night on that day and spiralled to other districts. File photo: Kevin Cheng/United Social Press. Ami Chan, 21, appeared in the Eastern Magistrates’ Courts on Monday to face one count of “possession of an offensive weapon in public” and another of “possessing anything with intent to destroy or damage property,” according to local media. She allegedly carried two laser pointers and three bottles of spray paint on September 8, 2019, on a section of Oil Street between King’s Road and Electric Road in Fortress Hill, amid the pro-democracy protests and unrest that rocked the city that year. The court heard that Chan was arrested in 2019 but not prosecuted at that time. She left Hong Kong for Australia in 2021 and is reportedly working there as a casino cashier. Magistrate Ko Wai-hung adjourned the case until April 21 to allow time for police to check with witnesses and conduct further investigation. Chan, who appeared in court in a white “I Love HK” T-shirt, was granted HK$10,000 bail, subject to conditions such as reporting to a police station twice a week and surrendering her travel documents. The case is the latest prosecution relating to the 2019 protests and unrest, during which police arrested over 10,000 people and close to 3,000 were charged over a raft of offences. Most cases are closed. In January, the judiciary said roughly 70 cases relating to the protests were still under way, with most scheduled for trial this year.