Hong Kong’s Lai Pleads Guilty in Protest Case; Assets Frozen
- Trading in shares of company Jimmy Lai founded suspended
- Opposition in Asian financial hub faces flurry of prosecutions
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Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai, former lawmaker Albert Ho and eight others pleaded guilty to organizing a 2019 protest that highlighted local opposition to the Communist Party on the 70th anniversary of its rule in Beijing.
Lai, Ho and the rest entered pleas Monday related to an unauthorized assembly to mark National Day on Oct. 1, 2019, an occasion in which President Xi Jinping sought to demonstrate China’s strength by hosting a massive military parade in Beijing. The anniversary saw protests erupt across Hong Kong, with many starting out peaceful and turning violent as demonstrations dragged on and police cracked down.