Tens of thousands protest jailing of Hong Kong pro-democracy leaders

Tens of thousands of people braved blazing summer heat Sunday to join a march in Hong Kong protesting the jailing of three pro-democracy leaders for their involvement in the 2014 “Umbrella Movement.”

Last week a Hong Kong court sentenced Joshua Wong, Nathan Law and Alex Chow — three young organizers of the protests that rocked Hong Kong three years ago — to jail terms ranging from six to eight months.

They were convicted of unlawful assembly after they stormed government property in June 2014, leading to the 79-day sit-in of major roads in the heart of the city’s financial district.

Joshua Wong and two other Umbrella Movement leaders jailed in Hong Kong

On Sunday, demonstrators walked from the district of Wan Chai to the Court of Final Appeal, where the three activists are expected to lodge an appeal against their sentences.

Police told CNN the number of protesters during the peak period Sunday was about 22,000. Organizers said it was “the biggest protest since the 2014 Occupy movement”, according to local press.

Source: Tens of thousands protest jailing of Hong Kong pro-democracy leaders – CNN