HK protesters jailed for airport assault on mainland reporter
Three Hong Kong democracy supporters were jailed for up to five and a half years yesterday for their involvement in a protest at the city's airport where a mainland Chinese state media reporter was tied up and assaulted.
Hong Kong was rocked by seven straight months of huge and sometimes violent democracy protests in 2019 which China has since stamped out with a crackdown.
At one point, protesters converged on and blockaded the airport for two days causing travel chaos.
During the protests, some of those in the crowd turned on two people they accused of being Chinese "spies" or undercover police.
One of those attacked was Fu Guohao, a reporter from China's mouthpiece Global Times.
His assault was broadcast live online and caused fury inside mainland China where it was seized on by authorities as a way to bolster their narrative that the protest movement was violent and chaotic.
Amy Pat, Lai Yun-long and Ho Ka-lok were all convicted of rioting and assaulting Fu. Pat was also convicted of a charge of false imprisonment for tying Fu up.
Ho was sentenced to five and a half years in prison, Lai five years and three months, and Pat to four years and three months.
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