Lai pleads guilty

Three veteran Hong Kong prodemocracy activists, including wellknown publisher Jimmy Lai, pleaded guilty yesterday to taking part in an unauthorised rally in 2019 that led to violence between police and participants. The charges carry prison terms of up to five years. Lee Cheukyan, an ex-legislator, and Yeng Sum, former chairman of the Democratic Party, were released on bail. Lai was returned to jail as he is already being held on charges related to his outspoken opposition to China’s crackdown on civil liberties in the former British colony. Walking out of the courthouse in the Wanchai district, Lee said he and the others saw no fault in their actions. “We want to reclaim our right to demonstration and we affirm the right of people, that we have the right to come out to march.”