02:32China: 'Umbrella Movement' guilty verdict is justified – FM spokesperson
A landmark guilty verdict handed down to nine leaders of the pro-democracy Hong Kong Occupy Central movement on Tuesday was justified, according to Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang who spoke during a press conference in Beijing, just hours after the decision.
Lu told journalists that the 79-day-long protest, which saw tens of thousands take to the streets in 2014 to demand freer elections, had "seriously impacted" Hong Kong’s law system and "caused damage to prosperity and stability." A Hong Kong court found leaders of the movement guilty of public nuisance charges.
"The central government firmly supports the Hong Kong government in punishing the main organisers of the illegal Occupy Central protest," Lu said.
The government spokesperson also touched on the US decision to designate Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps as a foreign terrorist organisation, advocating for adherence to the UN charter and urging the US to avoid measures that could "lead to tension escalation in the Middle East."
During Occupy Central protest in 2014, also known as the 'Umbrella Movement,' tens of thousands of protesters blocked the streets for around 79 days demanding more democratic elections.
Many of the protesters took umbrellas to shield themselves from police pepper spray, giving the protest its name.
02:32A landmark guilty verdict handed down to nine leaders of the pro-democracy Hong Kong Occupy Central movement on Tuesday was justified, according to Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang who spoke during a press conference in Beijing, just hours after the decision.
Lu told journalists that the 79-day-long protest, which saw tens of thousands take to the streets in 2014 to demand freer elections, had "seriously impacted" Hong Kong’s law system and "caused damage to prosperity and stability." A Hong Kong court found leaders of the movement guilty of public nuisance charges.
"The central government firmly supports the Hong Kong government in punishing the main organisers of the illegal Occupy Central protest," Lu said.
The government spokesperson also touched on the US decision to designate Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps as a foreign terrorist organisation, advocating for adherence to the UN charter and urging the US to avoid measures that could "lead to tension escalation in the Middle East."
During Occupy Central protest in 2014, also known as the 'Umbrella Movement,' tens of thousands of protesters blocked the streets for around 79 days demanding more democratic elections.
Many of the protesters took umbrellas to shield themselves from police pepper spray, giving the protest its name.