Hong Kong activists held and bailed

HONG Kong activist Joshua Wong and another core member of a pro-democracy group were granted bail after being charged with inciting people to join a protest in June, while authorities denied permission for a major march in what appears to be a harder line on this summer’s protests.

The organisers of Saturday’s march, the fifth anniversary of a decision by China against allowing fully democratic elections for the leader of Hong Kong, said they were calling it off after an appeals board denied permission.

It was unclear whether or not some protesters would still demonstrate on their own.

Police have been rejecting more applications for rallies and marches, citing violence at or after earlier ones.

They are also arresting people for protests earlier this summer.

Andy Chan, the leader of a proindependence movement, was arrested at the airport on Thursday night.

Three others were taken in earlier this week for the vandalising of the legislature offices on July 1.

“The first priority of the Civil Human Rights Front is to make sure that all of the participants who participate in our marches will be physically and legally safe. That’s our first priority,” said Bonnie Leung, a leader of the group.

“And because of the decision made by the appeal board, we feel very sorry but we have no choice but to cancel the march.”

Police said Mr Wong and Agnes Chow are being investigated for their role in a June 21 unauthorised protest outside a police station.