Overview

• Jackie Chen, a social worker known for mediating during the 2019 Hong Kong protests, was convicted of rioting in a retrial after her initial acquittal in 2020.
• The retrial was ordered by the Court of Appeal following a government appeal, arguing the original trial judge used an unrealistic approach in dismissing the case.
• Chen was accused of encouraging protesters through her use of a loudspeaker to urge police restraint during violent clashes in Wan Chai on August 31, 2019.
• The conviction could lead to the revocation of Chen’s social work license under a recent law targeting those convicted of offenses deemed harmful to the profession's reputation.
• The 2019 protests were initially triggered by a proposed extradition law and later expanded to broader pro-democracy demands, resulting in Beijing imposing a national security law to restore order.