London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Oct 22, 2025

Global rallies call for release of 12 Hongkongers detained in mainland China

Global rallies call for release of 12 Hongkongers detained in mainland China

Speaking at London’s Tower Bridge, activist Nathan Law demands ‘democracy and autonomy’ in first public speech since fleeing city.

Supporters of 12 Hong Kong fugitives detained in mainland China for more than two months staged demonstrations around the world at the weekend calling for their release, ahead of an online event conducted by relatives hoping to bolster support.

The demonstrations follow numerous activists and sympathisers – Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg among them– taking to social media in recent weeks, posting photos of themselves alongside the message “#save12hkyouths”.

The Hongkongers were intercepted by the Chinese coastguard in late August as they attempted to flee to Taiwan to escape prosecution at home for offences mostly stemming from last year’s anti-government protests.


Demonstrators gather in front of London’s Tower Bridge in support of 12 Hong Kong fugitives now detained in mainland China.


One, 29-year-old activist Andy Li, was arrested under Beijing’s sweeping new national security law for the city, which criminalises acts of secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with external forces.

The Hong Kong event was streamed on a Facebook page dedicated to the cause, attracting more than 8,000 viewers at the peak. In a local studio, activist Gwyneth Ho Kwai-lam interviewed relatives of some of the detainees, who urged local deputies of the National People’s Congress to help them liaise with the central government for the return of their loved ones.

The wife of Wong Wai-yin said family members were disappointed the Hong Kong government had been reluctant to offer assistance.

“In China, only respected people can become NPC deputies,” she said. “They can have access to central government people.”

The father of Cheng Tsz-ho said: “If they can help liaise with the central government, there will be a higher chance the Hong Kong people can be released sooner.”

He called his son an “innocent, good boy” who might struggle with the circumstances of his confinement.

“They do not necessarily need to beat you, but just put you in an isolated cell” he said. “I very much worry that he will not be able to withstand it.”

Political activist Joshua Wong Chi-fung also appeared, saying: “That we could mobilise so many overseas Hongkongers and supporters to join forces to make their voices heard is a significant message – that is, despite the imposition of the national security law, we have not given up our fight and the world has not given up concern about Hongkongers.”

In London, where Saturday’s largest rally took place, Hong Kong activist Nathan Law Kwun-chung spoke to a crowd gathered near the Tower Bridge, his first public speech since going into self-imposed exile after the security law was imposed on June 30.

“It’s an important time to vow our support to the Hong Kong people and the 12 detained in mainland China,” he said. “Our demand is simple: democracy and autonomy. And we will not give up.”


Joshua Wong urges residents to join an online rally in support of 12 Hongkongers currently detained in mainland China.


Benedict Rogers, an activist who founded the group Hong Kong Watch, and Luke De Pulford, who sits on the British Conservative Party’s Human Rights Commission, also attended.

“They are in a prison in China,” Rogers said. “And we are here to cry out to the world to say free the 12 Hongkongers. Return them to Hong Kong.”

“If [their return] cannot happen immediately, at least allow them to have lawyers of their choice, to have medical access if they needed, to have contact with their family.”

There were also rallies in New York and San Francisco, Brisbane and Melbourne, as well as in Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands and Italy. In Taipei, 3,000 people took part in a march on Sunday, according to organiser Hong Kong Outlanders.

Taiwan’s National Immigration Agency said it deported Hongkonger Lee Pun-ho for tailing and photographing activist Tony Chung Hon-lam when Chung was in Taiwan last year.

Lee was accused of following the former convenor of pro-independence group Studentlocalism and providing snapshots to pro-Beijing newspapers in Hong Kong. Lee has been banned from entering Taiwan for an unspecified period of time.

Attempts by lawyers appointed by the families to meet the detainees have repeatedly been rejected by mainland authorities, who have said each is already represented by two lawyers.

Shenzhen authorities confirmed last month 10 in the group were arrested on suspicion of illegally crossing the border, while the other two were held for organising the crossing, a more serious charge that carries a potential seven-year sentence.

Despite calls for the Hong Kong government to provide assistance and bring them back, local authorities have said the 12 would first have to be dealt with in accordance with mainland law.

Hong Kong police earlier this month arrested nine people on suspicion of helping the fugitives. They stand accused of providing funding, arranging a speedboat and organising hideouts in Hong Kong and Taiwan for the fugitives.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
US Administration Under President Donald Trump Reportedly Lifts Ban on Ukraine’s Use of Storm Shadow Missiles Against Russia
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
×