--- description: Joshua Wong, Nathan Law and Alex Chow were found guilty Thursday of unlawful protest charges relating to 2014's Umbrella Revolution title: Hong Kong Umbrella Revolution Activists Found Guilty image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2b804e98b3dba898/69889cf68e0601106f466c83/gettyimages-578134920.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Hong Kong](/tag/hong-kong/) ## Hong Kong Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Hong Kong Democracy Activists Found Guilty on Umbrella Revolution Charges by [Casey Quackenbush / Hong Kong](/author/casey-quackenbush/) ## Casey Quackenbush / Hong Kong Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jul 21, 2016 3:47 AM CUT  Pro-democracy political activists and members of the Demosistō party, from left, Joshua Wong, Nathan Law and Alex Chow speak as they arrive at the Eastern Magistrates' Court in Hong Kong on July 21, 2016 Pro-democracy political activists and members of the Demosistō party, from left, Joshua Wong, Nathan Law and Alex Chow speak as they arrive at the Eastern Magistrates' Court in Hong Kong on July 21, 2016Anthony Wallace—AFP/Getty Images by [Casey Quackenbush / Hong Kong](/author/casey-quackenbush/) ## Casey Quackenbush / Hong Kong Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jul 21, 2016 3:47 AM CUT Pro-democracy leaders [Joshua Wong](http://time.com/3482556/hong-kong-protest-teenagers/?iid=sr-link2 "undefined"), Nathan Law and Alex Chow were found guilty on Thursday morning of charges relating to a [protest](http://time.com/3434099/protest-arrested-hong-kong-democracy-students-occupy-central/?iid=sr-link1 "undefined") in September 2014\. The protest ultimately triggered a citywide occupation by thousands of students and supporters, which paralyzed much of Hong Kong for 79 days. Wong was acquitted of the charge of inciting an unlawful assembly but convicted of the lesser charge of partaking in it, as was Chow. Law was convicted of inciting an unlawful assembly. Surrounded by trademark cyan blue banners of their center-left party [Demosistō](http://time.com/4288070/demosisto-hong-kong-joshua-wong/?iid=sr-link1 "undefined") — which seeks [self-determination](http://time.com/4042269/hong-kong-self-determination-occupy-umbrella-revolution/?iid=sr-link3 "undefined") for Hong Kong — and joined by dozens of supporters outside the Eastern Magistrates’ Court, the three delivered speeches prior to the verdict and said they would “fight until the people enjoy universal suffrage.” They added that they were prepared for jail. The convictions against the three activists relate to a protest on Sept. 26, 2014, calling for Hongkongers to be given the right to directly nominate and elect the region’s top official through universal suffrage. (Currently that official is vetted by Beijing and selected by a small electoral college.) The protest, which saw police respond with tear gas after some 200 students stormed a barricaded square outside Hong Kong’s main government offices, kicked off the movement that became known as the Umbrella Revolution. Wong told a crowd of reporters that he disagreed with the outcome of the trial. “Everyone should be ensured and gain the right to participate in freedom of assembly,” he said. “It’s the human right of every citizen that lives in Hong Kong” Last month, Law and Wong were both [cleared](http://time.com/4358020/hong-kong-china-joshua-wong-verdict-nathan-law-democracy-umbrella-revolution-demosisto/ "undefined") of obstruction charges relating to the same protests, which they argued were politically motivated. Law is due to stand in forthcoming elections to the Hong Kong legislature. Judge June Cheung said that sentencing on the newer charges would be made on Aug. 15. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4416234/hong-kong-umbrella-revolution-student-leaders-protest-charges/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4416234/hong-kong-umbrella-revolution-student-leaders-protest-charges/"},"headline":"Hong Kong Democracy Activists Found Guilty on Umbrella Revolution Charges","datePublished":"2016-07-21T03:47:09.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T23:25:03.674Z","description":"Sentencing will be made in three weeks","url":"https://time.com/4416234/hong-kong-umbrella-revolution-student-leaders-protest-charges/","keywords":["Hong Kong","Hong Kong topic","China","democracy","Umbrella Revolution","Joshua Wong"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2b804e98b3dba898/69889cf68e0601106f466c83/gettyimages-578134920.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Casey Quackenbush / Hong Kong"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2b804e98b3dba898/69889cf68e0601106f466c83/gettyimages-578134920.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"HONG KONG-CHINA-POLITICS-DEMOCRACY","caption":"HONG KONG-CHINA-POLITICS-DEMOCRACY","creditText":"Anthony Wallace—AFP/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/world/","name":"World"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/hong-kong/","name":"Hong Kong"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4416234/hong-kong-umbrella-revolution-student-leaders-protest-charges/","name":"Hong Kong Democracy Activists Found Guilty on Umbrella Revolution Charges"}}]}] ```