32 people in 2 incidents charged with rioting

Police announced on Thursday that 32 people face charges of rioting for their alleged involvement in separate incidents last year at Sham Shui Po and the Polytechnic University of Hong Kong.

They are the latest of the nearly 600 people who have been charged with rioting during the anti-government social unrest that erupted in June. As the city's most serious offense against public order, rioting is punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

Among the 32, 18 people were charged for their alleged participation in the riot in Sham Shui Po on Aug 29, including 12 students. The youngest defendant is only 13 years old, and the oldest is 41. They will appear in the Kowloon City Magistrates' Court on June 16.

Speaking at a media briefing, Lo Ka-chun, chief inspector of the Kowloon West Regional Crime Unit, said the 18 gathered outside the Sham Shui Po Police Station on the night of the incident and blocked roads with debris, obstructing traffic. Ignoring police warnings, they threw bricks, and pointed laser lights at police officers. The suspects were arrested during the dispersal operation.

Three of those 18 were charged on Aug 31 and were released on bail. Fourteen of the 18 suspects were arrested on Thursday, and one suspect is still at large.

Meanwhile, another 14 people, arrested in the vicinity of PolyU on Nov 18, also were charged with rioting and will appear at the Eastern Magistrates' Court on May 18.

Four of the PolyU-related suspects will also be charged with possession of any instrument fit for unlawful purposes, and one with possession of offensive weapon in a public place. The two offenses carry maximum prison sentences of two and three years respectively.

Lok Chun-chung, chief inspector of the Commercial Crime Bureau, at the same media briefing stressed that crime had serious consequences and that a criminal record could seriously affect a young person's future.

He also pointed out that the police have noticed a worrying trend of a lack of awareness of the law among young people.

The city's force also reported on Thursday that a 16-year-old was arrested Wednesday in a shopping mall in Sha Tin on suspicion of smashing a shop.

In the statements on its social media account, the police urged the public to stop glorifying violent acts, and urged young people to "refrain from betting their future upon the incitement of others".

"Breaking the law comes with legal liabilities," the force said.

Police say they have arrested 8,337 people since June 9 in connection with violent protests against the now-withdrawn extradition law amendment bill. Of those suspects, over 1,600 have been prosecuted, with the top three charges being rioting (595 people), possession of an offensive weapon (252 people), and unlawful assembly (236 people).

On May 4, a 21-year-old lifeguard became the first to plead guilty to a riot charge in court among those arrested and prosecuted for involvement in last year's social unrest. He will be sentenced this afternoon.