HK activist Joshua Wong pleads guilty over June 4 'illegal assembly'

FILE PHOTO: Pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong arrives at the Eastern Magistrates' Courts over illegal assembly and violation of an emergency law banning face coverings last year, in Hong Kong, China September 30, 2020. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hong Kong democracy activist Joshua Wong was among four people who pleaded guilty on Friday of participating in an illegal assembly on June 4 last year to commemorate the 1989 crackdown on protesters in and around Beijing's Tiananmen Square.

It was the first time the vigil had been banned in the global financial hub, with police citing, as it did for all demonstrations last year, coronavirus restrictions on group gatherings. It is expected to face a similar fate this year.