Hong Kong Breaking: Student Leaders Joshua Wong, Lester Shum Arrested in Mong Kok Clearing

Hong Kong democracy protest leaders Joshua Wong (L) and Lester Shum (R) pose for a photo with a young girl, before fellow student leaders try to board a flight to Beijing, at Hong Kong's international airport on November 15, 2014. Three Hong Kong pro-democracy protest leaders were unable to leave the city for a planned trip to Beijing in hopes of bringing their demands for political reform to Chinese authorities. Alex Ogle/AFP/Getty Images

Updated on Wednesday, Nov. 26 3:20 p.m. EST with quotes from Joshua Wong and Lester Shum after the photos.

Prominent student leaders Joshua Wong and Lester Shum have been arrested in police clearing of Mong Kok on Wednesday, Nov. 26 Hong Kong time. 

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Post by 新報人.

The moment when police took @HKFS1958 student leader Lester Shum away. (Screencap from video I shot for @Reuters) pic.twitter.com/Cda7f50ME4

— Venus Wu (@wu_venus) November 26, 2014

The arrests were made by Hong Kong Police Tactical Officers (PTU) at about 10:20 a.m. (9:20 a.m. EST) at the barricades between Argyle Street and Dundas Street on Nathan Road.

PTU officers clad in blue jumpsuits entered the site and started making arrests after protesters refused to clear the area following numerous announcements by the bailiffs and police.

Joshua Wong, convener of the student organization Scholarism, and Lester Shum, the deputy secretary general of the Hong Kong Federation of Students (HFKS) were at the forefront of the protesters and were promptly arrested under the charge of “contempt of court” and taken to Kwai Chung police station.

In a Twitter post, Wong mentioned that Chinese University’s Student Union member Jason Szeto Tze-long and League of Social Democrats Raphael Wong Ho-ming have also been arrested.

【 請廣傳 】我、岑敖暉、司徒子朗、黃浩明被捕。

— 黃之鋒 (@joshuawong1013) November 26, 2014

早前學民召集人黃之鋒被拘捕的情況（10:51） pic.twitter.com/wpzO5AisZE

— 陈志斌 (@czb5438) November 26, 2014

Wong and Shum were on scene to observe the clearing of Nathan Street in Mong Kok as per court injunctions.

A police officer tries to stop protesters pushing at the Mong Kok district of Hong Kong early Nov. 26, 2014. An attempt by Hong Kong authorities to clear the 2-month-old pro-democracy protest camp spiraled into chaos Tuesday as hundreds more protesters flooded the crowded neighborhood. A total of 116 people were arrested, police said. AP Photo/Vincent Yu

 

Protesters prepare to push against policemen at an occupied area in Mong Kok district of Hong Kong, Nov. 25, 2014.  AP Photo/Vincent Yu

 

Protesters shout slogans against policemen at an occupied area in Mong Kok district of Hong Kong Nov. 25, 2014. AP Photo/Vincent Yu

 

Police officers try to stop protesters pushing at an occupied area in Mong Kok district of Hong Kong Nov. 25, 2014. AP Photo/Vincent Yu

 

Police officers beat back pro-democracy protesters in the Mongkok district of Hong Kong on Nov. 25, 2014.  Alex Ogle/AFP/Getty Images

 

Riot police retain a man during clash with protesters at Mong Kok on Nov. 25, 2014 in Hong Kong. Lam Yik Fei/Getty Images

Shortly before his arrest, Lester Shum told South China Morning Post: “We’re planning to continue our civil disobedience action when the plaintiff and police officers come, and then we are ready to get arrested.”

SCMP reports that Joshua Wong said the police were using the injunction as a smokescreen to cover up their removing of protesters before he was nabbed. Wong also accused bailiffs of failing to properly explain the court order.

“Many people arrived in Mong Kok last night because they were unhappy about police overstepping their mark,” said Wong, adding that protesters needed to “hold the fort” in Causeway Bay and Mong Kok. 

Bailiffs and plainclothes police officers arrived to clear Nathan Road shortly before 9:00 a.m. to read out the high court injunction.

Taxi drivers from the Taxi Alliance, the plaintiffs who applied for the injunction, were also present to help with the clearance.

Donning red caps and “I Love HK” T-shirt, the volunteer cleaners heckled the protesters at the barricades while they went about their job. 

When asked by Joshua Wong, the bailiffs refused to answer questions on whether people were considered to be “obstacles” for removal.

According to the South China Morning Post, Wong said police were using the court operation as a pretext for removing the protesters. He also accused the bailiffs of failing to properly explain the court order.

“Many people arrived in Mong Kok last night because they were unhappy about police overstepping their mark,” said Wong, adding that protesters need to “hold the fort” in in Mong Kok and Causeway Bay.