Oliver Ma, who is known for his performances of protest song “Glory to Hong Kong,” was arrested in May 2021 during a night time performance in Central after police received a noise complaint.
A Hong Kong busker known for performing an English rendition of protest song Glory to Hong Kong has pleaded not guilty to organising a prohibited group gathering.
Oliver Ma, 24, wearing a pinstripe blue and white collared shirt, denied the charge at Eastern Magistrates’ Court on Thursday morning.
The incident occurred on May 21, 2021, when Ma was playing guitar and singing at the junction of Queen’s Road Central and Theatre Lane at around 10 p.m. The court heard that police arrived on the scene in response to a noise complaint.
After multiple warnings for Ma to stop his performance and leave went unheeded, police arrested him for behaving in a disorderly manner in a public place. His equipment – including his guitar and amplifier – were then confiscated.
The charge was later changed to organising a prohibited group gathering, an offence under Covid-19 regulations. Per the now-expired Prevention and Control of Disease (Prohibition on Gathering) Regulation, anyone found guilty of organising a prohibited group gathering faces a fine of up to HK$25,000 and six months’ imprisonment.
Read more at HKFP
Hong Kong busker known for protest song pleads not guilty to organising prohibited group gathering
