London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jul 30, 2025

Chanting ‘Hongkongers, add oil’ could be seditious, court told

Chanting ‘Hongkongers, add oil’ could be seditious, court told

Lingnan University Professor Lau Chi-pang testifies for prosecution in trial of former radio presenter Tam Tak-chi, who is facing 14 charges including eight related to uttering seditious words.

Chanting certain words of support for Hong Kong residents or calling the government “tyrannical” could be seditious, a pro-government historian has argued in the first trial under the city’s colonial-era sedition law since 1997.

Lingnan University Professor Lau Chi-pang on Monday told the District Court that “Liberate Hong Kong; revolution of our times” or “Hongkongers, add oil” were capable of inciting others to break the law depending on the circumstances of their use. The latter phrase is a Cantonese expression of encouragement.

Lau, a council member of the semi-official Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau Studies think tank, was giving expert testimony in the trial of former radio presenter Tam Tak-chi, who is facing 14 charges, including eight related to uttering seditious words.

Lingnan University’s Lau Chi-pang is seen in this file photo taken on July 2.


The 48-year-old People Power vice-chairman, popularly known as “Fast Beat”, is the first person to stand trial on sedition charges under the colonial-era Crimes Ordinance since Hong Kong’s handover from British to Chinese rule 24 years ago.

Tam was alleged to have chanted an array of seditious slogans, including “Liberate Hong Kong; revolution of our times”, the signature rallying call of the anti-government protests two years ago, on various occasions between January and July last year.

The popular phrase was first coined by jailed activist Edward Leung Tin-kei during his Legislative Council campaign in 2016, when he advocated the city’s independence, the court was told.

Lau argued the expression was secessionist in nature as it implied an objective of overthrowing Beijing and recovering Hong Kong from “enemy hands”.

He said that one must analyse the context of the words to arrive at a proper interpretation. The slogan was provocative, as shown in how it was used by Leung and subsequently picked up by protesters who vandalised Beijing’s liaison office in Sai Wan on July 21, 2019, Lau told the court.

The professor maintained that expressions such as “Hongkongers, add oil” and “no rioters but tyranny” – a reference to the government’s classification of certain 2019 protests as riots – could have breached the law if they were used during the chaos outside the liaison office.

Jailed activist Edward Leung in February 2016.


University of Hong Kong linguistics Professor Janny Leung Hiu-chi, who gave evidence for the defence, found it unhelpful to refer to ancient Chinese texts to interpret the disputed words, as the slogan was ambiguous and could mean different things.

For instance, the word “revolution” could mean a significant change in society, politics, economy or culture, and did not necessarily entail an intention to topple the government, she argued.

“When Bernie Sanders adopted the expression ‘Our revolution’ during his election campaign, no one questioned whether he ran for president in the hope of overthrowing the US government,” she said.

Janny Leung argued it was common for campaign slogans to be vague to rally support from all sides of society, similar to how Donald Trump used “Make America great again” during his successful 2016 bid for the United States presidency.

The defence expert will be cross-examined by the prosecution when the trial resumes on Tuesday.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
×