I Have Hope In Hong Kong People: Joshua Wong

Demosisto leader Joshua Wong said on Monday that he has hope in Hong Kong people as they have shown they will rise up at critical moments.

Wong was speaking after he was released from prison on Monday after serving a two-month jail term for his leading role in the pro-democracy Occupy protests in 2014.

His release comes as the city is rocked by unprecedented protests which saw almost two million taking to the streets, this time sparked by a government plan to allow extraditions to the mainland.

Speaking to reporters as he left the Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre, the 22-year-old thanked all those who took part in Sunday’s massive rally.

He said he felt upset that he wasn’t able to protest alongside Hong Kong people over the past two weeks, but pledged to rejoin them as soon as possible.

“I have no hope towards the government but I have hope towards the people. And we just realised that Hong Kong people, in the critical moment, they will try their best to join the fight”, he said.

He said the government must revoke the classification of the June 12 clashes as a riot, and Carrie Lam must step down and scrap the contentious bill completely.

"No matter what happens, I will join the protest soon," he said.

Wong, who was 17 when the 2014 protests began, was jailed for three months in January 2018 on a contempt charge after pleading guilty to obstructing the clearance of a major protest camp.

He served only six days of that sentence before being released on bail, pending an appeal.

In mid-May, however, a senior judge said Wong must return to jail -- albeit for a reduced sentence of two months.