--- description: Sixtus Leung and Yau Wai-ching were arrested in relation to a brawl in the legislature last year after they were disqualified as legislators title: Hong Kong Independence Activists Released on Bail image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt20ef8969811043e4/6988caad196cf42d6003fd6f/gettyimages-626602044.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 # Two Pro-Independence Hong Kong Activists Have Been Charged With Unlawful Assembly by [Kevin Lui](/author/kevin-lui/) ## Kevin Lui Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Apr 26, 2017 9:59 AM CUT  Pro-independence lawmakers Baggio Leung (L) and Yau Wai-ching (R) speak to the press outside the High Court in Hong Kong on Nov. 30, 2016. Pro-independence lawmakers Baggio Leung (L) and Yau Wai-ching (R) speak to the press outside the High Court in Hong Kong on Nov. 30, 2016.Anthony Wallace—AFP/Getty Images by [Kevin Lui](/author/kevin-lui/) ## Kevin Lui Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Apr 26, 2017 9:59 AM CUT Two Hong Kong activists, who advocate the city’s [independence](http://time.com/4291738/hong-kong-independence-demosisto-sedition-treason-arrest-hknp/ "undefined") from China and were [disqualified](http://time.com/4569428/yau-wai-ching-baggio-leung-hong-kong-court-independence/ "undefined") from taking up seats as Hong Kong legislators, were granted bail Wednesday morning in relation to a [brawl](http://time.com/4553250/hong-kong-lawmakers-legislative-council-legco-oath-independence-china-intervention/ "undefined") in the legislature during the month-long [political turmoil](http://time.com/4560174/hong-kong-china-lawmakers-legislature-oaths/ "undefined") that surrounded their elections late last year. Youngspiration, the political party to which Sixtus “Baggio” Leung and Yau Wai-ching belong, [said](https://www.facebook.com/youngspiration/posts/1309797585778540 "undefined") the pair were arrested on Wednesday morning for “unlawful assembly.” The charge relates to their [attempt to force their way into](http://time.com/4553250/hong-kong-lawmakers-legislative-council-legco-oath-independence-china-intervention/ "undefined") the Legislative Council chamber during a meeting in November. The party’s statement says that a number of the duo’s erstwhile staff were also in the process of being taken in by police. Yau and Leung are scheduled to appear in court Friday afternoon, the _South China Morning Post_ [reports](http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2090736/disqualified-pro-independence-hong-kong-lawmakers-yau-wai "undefined"). Leung told reporters outside the Central Police Station that they were unlikely to plead guilty. The pair were among [the youngest lawmakers](http://time.com/4516167/hong-kong-independence-democracy-legislature-youth/ "undefined") elected in the territory last year, riding on a wave of pro-democracy sentiment and anxiety following [massive protests in 2014](http://time.com/3632739/hong-kong-umbrella-revolution-photos/ "undefined"). However, their pledge of loyalty to the “Hong Kong nation” in their [oaths of office](http://time.com/4527619/hong-kong-independence-lawmakers-swearing-in-legco/ "undefined") sparked a [political firestorm](http://time.com/4544159/hong-kong-independence-legislative-council-legco-lawmakers-oath-baggio-leung-yau-wai-ching/ "undefined") that eventually saw unprecedented direct intervention from the Chinese central government and a local court disqualifying them from taking their seats. An appeal was later [rejected](http://time.com/4581859/hong-kong-independence-lawmakers-legislators-appeal/ "undefined") by the court. Nine other activists involved in the 2014 Umbrella Revolution protests have recently been booked on charges related to the pro-democracy movement, Reuters reports. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4755596/hong-kong-independence-legislators-activists-youngspiration/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4755596/hong-kong-independence-legislators-activists-youngspiration/"},"headline":"Two Pro-Independence Hong Kong Activists Have Been Charged With Unlawful Assembly","datePublished":"2017-04-26T09:59:04.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-23T04:36:34.342Z","description":"The pair were disqualified as legislators late last year","url":"https://time.com/4755596/hong-kong-independence-legislators-activists-youngspiration/","keywords":["Hong Kong","Hong Kong topic","onetime"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt20ef8969811043e4/6988caad196cf42d6003fd6f/gettyimages-626602044.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Kevin Lui","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/kevin-lui/"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt20ef8969811043e4/6988caad196cf42d6003fd6f/gettyimages-626602044.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"HONG KONG-CHINA-POLITICS-DEMOCRACY-INDEPENDENCE","caption":"HONG KONG-CHINA-POLITICS-DEMOCRACY-INDEPENDENCE","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/4755596/hong-kong-independence-legislators-activists-youngspiration/","name":"Two Pro-Independence Hong Kong Activists Have Been Charged With Unlawful Assembly"}}]}] ```