Four Men Plead Guilty Over Mall Clashes

Four men accused of clashing with a group of Beijing supporters in a Kowloon Bay shopping mall in 2019 pleaded guilty on Monday to unlawful assembly.

One of the defendants also pleaded guilty to wounding.

The District Court heard that on the afternoon of September 14, 2019, clashes took place at Amoy Plaza between a group of Beijing supporters waving national flags and singing the national anthem, and another group of people with opposing views.

A woman, who fell on an escalator during the chaos, was said to have been attacked by one of the defendants and other people. She suffered injuries to her head and neck and lost three teeth.

Judge Ernest Lin remarked that people wearing yellow high-vis jackets allegedly blocked some of the victims from leaving the scene, and said they may have been part of what he called a riot.

During Monday's hearing, Lin ordered a lawyer and two members of the public to change the yellow masks they were wearing, telling them they would have to leave the courtroom otherwise.

The colour yellow is associated with the territory's pro-democracy movement.

The four defendants were remanded in custody ahead of their next court appearance on Wednesday when the judge is to hear mitigation pleas.