Hong Kong protests: two merchants first to plead guilty to rioting over Yuen Long MTR attack
- Both Lam Koon-leung, 49, and Lam Kai-ming, 44, denied a second count of wounding with intent, while prosecutors were chided for being ill-prepared
- The July 2019 attack by a group of white-clad men was a turning point in the protest movement, provoking a public outcry over the police response
The District Court case centred on the July 21 mob attack at Yuen Long MTR station, in which a group of men dressed in white T-shirts and armed with wooden sticks and metal poles injured 45 civilians and protesters.
On Monday, Lam Koon-leung, 49, and Lam Kai-ming, 44, admitted a joint rioting charge, but denied a second count of wounding with intent.
The second charge was left on court file, meaning it cannot be pursued without the permission of the District Court or the Court of Appeal.
Prosecutors said the two men were among more than 50 white-clad individuals who gathered at the station on July 21, heeding calls to “safeguard Yuen Long” and “drive out protesters” that emerged after protesters held a screening event in the district on July 16.
