Hong Kong's 'Grandma Wong' jailed over 2019 protests

A prominent Hong Kong protester has been jailed for 32 weeks for taking part in anti-government protests in 2019.

Alexandra Wong, 66, nicknamed Grandma Wong, denied the charges earlier this year, but changed her plea to guilty on Wednesday, the first day of her trial.

Ms Wong was regularly seen at the protests three years ago, usually waving a British union jack flag.

Prosecutors charged her in connection with two flash mobs on 11 August 2019.

They accused Ms Wong of shouting "offensive words" at an unlawful assembly, adding that her flag-waving and slogans encouraged an illegal gathering.

Hong Kong Principal Magistrate Ada Yim said the protests had caused "disruption to social order".

Ms Wong disappeared half way through the 2019 protests, but re-emerged in October 2020, saying she had been detained in the border city of Shenzhen and forced to renounce her activism.

Her jailing comes a day after Hong Kong authorities sentenced a veteran activist and terminal cancer patient to nine months in jail for his attempt to protest against the Beijing Olympics.

Koo Sze-Yiu, 75, was arrested by police in February before he could carry out a solo demonstration criticising China.

He was charged with sedition, which he has denied. He has said he will appeal against the sentence.

Hong Kong was rocked by months of anti-government protests in 2019 and 2020. They were initially sparked by plans to allow extradition to mainland China, and then grew to include several issues, including anger over a controversial new security law brought in by China which cracks down on dissent.