Edward Leung Found Guilty Over Mong Kok Riot

A nine-member jury on Friday unanimously found prominent localist Edward Leung guilty of rioting during the Lunar New Year disturbances in Mong Kok in 2016, which saw police officers punched and kicked, bricks ripped up from pavements, and police firing warning shots in the air.

But Leung, 26, was found not guilty of inciting other people to riot. He had also admitted assaulting a police officer.

Four other defendants stood trial with Leung at the High Court, including Lo Kin-man, 31, who was also convicted of rioting.

Lam Lun-hing, 24, meanwhile, was acquitted of three charges of rioting.

But after three days of deliberations, the jury was unable to reach a majority verdict on rioting charges against Lam Ngo-hin, 23, and Lee Nok-man, 21. Another hearing was scheduled for June 11 to deal with those charges.

During the trial Leung told the court that he was only in Mong Kok on the night of the unrest to protect hawkers who were being moved on by officials, as well as to defend the city's culture.

But the former Hong Kong Indigenous spokesman also admitted that he couldn't contain his anger as violence erupted between police and protesters.

Leung was a by-election candidate at the time and said he had called an election rally in Mong Kok so his supporters could form a buffer between the police and the crowd of protesters, a claim dismissed by the prosecution as "smoke and mirrors".

Judge Anthea Pang said she would begin hearing mitigation on May 21.

Last month, a 25-year-old man was jailed by the District Court for two years and 10 months for taking part in the riot "solely for the fun of it". Several others have also been given prison terms over the violence, including a technician who was jailed for four years and nine months for setting a taxi on fire during the riot.