Hong Kong Police Arrest Several Pro-Democracy Politicians

(Bloomberg) -- Police in Hong Kong arrested seven pro-democracy politicians on Sunday for their involvement in scuffles at a Legislative Council meeting in May.

The six current and former LegCo members and one assistant are accused of violating the lawmaking body’s powers and privilege ordinance, the police said at a briefing on Sunday. The group will be released on bail and a hearing has been scheduled for Nov. 5 in Eastern Magistrate court, they said.

Those arrested included Democratic Party lawmakers Wu Chi-wai, Andrew Wan and Helena Wong, former legislators Eddie Chu and Raymond Chan as well as Labour Party Vice Chairman Fernando Cheung, according to social media posts and their parties. The arrests were reported earlier by broadcaster RTHK.

Chinese state media outlet Global Times said in a Twitter post that further arrests are “not ruled out.”

Scuffles broke out between Hong Kong’s opposition lawmakers and those who favor closer ties with Beijing as they jostled for control of a House Committee meeting at the Legislative Council on May 8. At least six democratic lawmakers, including Chan, Chu and Ted Hui, were dragged on the floor and carried out of the room by security staff during the melee. Wan was carried out on a stretcher after apparently having been injured as guards tried to take him away.

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