Last week, the DoJ dropped a case against a man who allegedly
of Hong Kong (CUHK) during a graduation ceremony last November. According to local media, the mainland Chinese CUHK student surnamed Li approached a group of graduates who had put on helmets and masks to show solidarity with the pro-democracy movement. He had a fruit knife in his hand while he sang the Chinese national anthem.
Li was taken away by security guards and was later charged with possession of offensive weapons. But the prosecutors decided to drop the case, saying Li did not harm anyone and it was his first offence. He received the same bind-over order as Yu and did not end up with a criminal record.
Apple Daily
that the magistrate, who had no discretion, questioned the prosecutors’ decision and said it was “rare.” The judge said wielding a knife was “a lot more dangerous” than laser pointers used by some demonstrators.
In May, a 16-year-old boy became the first protester to be found guilty of carrying a laser pointer as an offensive weapon. The High Court dismissed the teenager’s appeal against his conviction and upheld his sentence of three months in a rehabilitation centre.