Occupy trio surrender to police

SIXTY-FIVE activists – including the Occupy Central (佔領中環) trio – surrendered to police last Wednesday but left without being charged.

Despite admitting taking part in unauthorised assembly, Occupy co-organiser Benny Tai Yiu-ting (戴耀廷) said, “We are not being arrested so we are allowed to leave without any restrictions on our liberty.

“I feel calm, and I think a bit relieved, also. We have completed at least what is our original plan.”

Along with Tai were co-organisers Chan Kin-man (陳健民) and Chu Yiu-ming (朱耀明), plus retired cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun (陳日君), social work lecturer Shiu Ka-chun (邵家臻), political cartoonist Zunzi and 14 Democratic Party (民主黨) members.

“I think they’ll arrest us for sure,” said Tai, who suggested that political considerations may have come into play on the timing.

“The only question is when. I don’t think they’ll just let us walk away.”

Surrounded by more than 100 supporters and journalists, the Occupy trio and Zen – all in black coats – were the first batch to enter the 10-storey police building tucked away at the corner of Sheung Wan’s (上環) promenade.

At the other extreme was Justice Alliance (正義聯盟) and anti-occupiers, led by Leticia Lee See-yin (李偲嫣). They raised victory signs and held placards caricaturing the trio, Joshua Wong Chi-fung (黃之鋒) and Next Media (壹傳媒 ) chairman Jimmy Lai Chee-ying (黎智英) in orange-and-black striped inmate uniforms.

(The Standard, 4 December 2014)