Legco chaos and fighting on the floor as two localists storm the meeting

Youngspiration’s lawmakers forced into the Legislative Council meeting today, with fighting and arguments meaning the meeting eventually had to be suspended for 30 minutes. The chaos happened after Democracy Groundwork’s Lau Siu-lai retook her oath, but the meeting resumed in Conference Room 1 at 12.52pm. Youngspiration’s Sixtus “Baggio” Leung Chung-hang and Yau Wai-ching, said they would not storm the council meeting again, or attempt to enter the new meeting venue again, triggering more chaos.

Sixtus Leung and Yau entered the chamber with several pan-democratic lawmakers behind them, including Eddie Chu Hoi-dick and Nathan Law Kwun-chung. After the duo entered the Legco chamber without being stopped by security guards, they rushed the table in front of Legco president Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen. They took out a small piece of paper, picked up a small microphone and started to read the Legislative Council Oath.

But the Legco president told them to leave, and when they refused, he asked the security guards to throw Yau and Sixtus Leung out.

This request prompted several accompanying lawmakers, including Law and Chu, to try to stop the security guards from taking them away. Andrew Leung ordered the meeting to be suspended. Yau was taken away while Sixtus Leung remained and battled with the security guards. Chu shouted: “This cannot be done! He [Sixtus Leung] was voted in and chosen by thousands of Hongkongers!”

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Lawmakers and security guards found themselves at a stalemate as a group tried to physically carry Sixtus Leung out of the chamber, while a group of lawmakers tried to keep Sixtus Leung in the chamber. Pan-democratic lawmaker “Long Hair” Leung Kwok-hung lay down on the floor to stop them from leaving.

After being escorted out, Yau said she had entered the chamber, and that retaking the oath was her responsibility as a lawmaker. “I have read the entire oath and I hope I’ll be able to stay in the chamber and attend the meeting,” she said.

Yau said Legco president Andrew Leung had breached the rules by not validating her oath. However, she wasn’t officially scheduled to retake her oath today, which is why her oath wasn’t valid. Yau and Sixtus Leung won’t be able to officially retake their oaths until at least after the judicial review – that is trying to invalidate their Legco status – which will take place tomorrow.

Yau also expressed concerns this morning over Beijing’s possible hand in the matter. “I’m worried chief executive Leung Chun-ying will be the one to end ‘One Country Two Systems,” she said. “Whoever asks for interpretation of the law is the one selling Hongkongers out.”

As Sixtus Leung refused to leave the chamber, the Legco president announced the council meeting would continue in Meeting Room One after a 30-minute interval.

Outside the chamber, Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB) chairwoman and lawmaker Starry Lee Wai-king deemed the chaos “unacceptable”. “It was Sixtus Leung and Yau who caused the disruption. They didn’t respect the Legco president’s ruling, and we condemn them for what they’ve done in the chamber,” said Lee.

The Youngspiration duo said they would declare their oaths in Cantonese. Asked if they would pronounce the word “Chee-na” again, they declined to answer this question because of a judicial review which has been set for tomorrow. The word “Chee-na” is a variation of the derogatory term “Shina” used by the Japanese during the war against Chinese people.