Activists arrested day after pro-China chief chosen

HONG KONG — A day after Hong Kong picked a new Beijing-backed leader, police started a fresh round of arrests of student leaders and other prominent figures involved with the huge 2014 “Umbrella Movement” pro-democracy protests.

Nine activists targeted by police were defiant as they turned themselves in at police headquarters on Monday evening, accompanied by dozens of supporters. Police notified them earlier in the day that they would be arrested and charged with committing a public nuisance, according to the Demosisto political party.

Hong Kong police, who have arrested more than 200 people for involvement in the protests, did not reply to inquiries.

The arrests, which come more than two years after the end of the massive protests, could reignite political tensions in Hong Kong as the city prepares for its leadership transfer.

Beijing loyalist Carrie Lam promised to mend political divisions after she was named Hong Kong’s next leader on Sunday. But the arrests have fueled fears of a wider crackdown on pro-democracy supporters amid rising concerns about mainland China’s tightening grip on the semiautonomous city.

“We expect a large-scale political prosecution,” tweeted Joshua Wong, the activist who helped lead the 2014 protests and co-founded Demosisto, one of a new wave of parties that advocate “self-determination” or even independence from China. Wong was not among those targeted this time.

Those targeted for arrest include two university professors, Benny Tai and Chan Kinman, and the Rev. Chu Yiuming. They founded a civil disobedience campaign demanding free elections for Hong Kong’s leader.

“Today, we are going to be arrested, and we will be charged. We will face very lengthy legal action,” Tai said before entering the police station. “No matter what the results will be, we won’t give up. We will never give up.”

The arrests appear to have been timed to protect Lam, who was Beijing’s preferred candidate, from facing tough questions about the government’s crackdown during her leadership campaign, Amnesty International Hong Kong director Mabel Au said.

“The authorities have had plenty of time to make this decision, so it does raise questions,” she said.