Support group Story of the Frontiers held a concert at Central’s Edinburgh Square on Sunday to show solidarity with Hong Kong’s jailed activists.
Last month, the Court of Appeal jailed 13 activists who took part in protests against the northeast New Territories development plans outside the Legislative Council in 2014, as well as the Occupy trio – Joshua Wong, Alex Chow and Nathan Law – over their participation in the Civic Square clashes that same year.
Earlier this year, protesters who participated in the Mong Kok clashes over street hawkers during Chinese New Year last year were also handed jail terms.
The musical rally featured performances by Interzone Collective, Anthony Wong, Denise Ho, Edmund Leung, Wong Hin-yan, Adrian Chow and more.
The event also included a mobile classroom featuring former lawmakers Margaret Ng and Leung Kwok-hung, and a dialogue session with Demosisto activist Derek Lam and Hong Kong Indigenous’ Ray Wong.
“We do not walk together solely because we miss or support them. We walk together because we share the hope for social change and a better city,” the group said in its event description.
A clip featuring a member of Russian feminist punk band Pussy Riot was played at the event, where the member expressed solidarity with the protesters.
Partners and family members of the activists – such as the mother and twin sister of activist Willis Ho, and husband of Kole Chow – were invited on stage to share their thoughts. Letters from prisoners were read out.
“In this current political climate, today we are here to show our support towards those who are already in jail, but we’re not just supporting them – we’re also supporting Hong Kong people as a whole,” singer and activist Denise Ho told reporters.
“They aren’t the only ones to have to face this situation – for example, even I myself can be subjected to this kind of persecution. No matter what post we assume, we have a responsibility to come out and use our methods to bring [all of us] together.”
