According to Hong Kong media reports on the evening of 22nd, the Hong Kong Police Officers’ Association and the Hong Kong Police Inspectors’ Association held a special congress at the Mong Kok Police Recreation Club in the evening to discuss the incident that seven police officers who beat social worker Zeng Jianchao were convicted and imprisoned for two years, as well as the support and follow-up arrangements for seven people. A large number of active and retired police officers and their families were present in the evening.

In mid-October 2014, the Hong Kong media released a video of the police allegedly beating Zeng Jianchao, a member of the Citizens Party, when they dispersed the Occupy Central demonstrators. The case was announced on February 14, and the defendant was found guilty of all crimes. Three days after remand, on the morning of 17th, the court announced that all seven defendants were sentenced to two years without probation. In addition, the defendant Chen Shaodan was also convicted of ordinary assault and sentenced to one month, to be executed concurrently.

Hong Kong police rally to protest against 7 policemen being sentenced

According to the Hong Kong Eastern Network, more than 38,000 people attended the peak of the conference, including off-duty and retired police officers. Legislative Councillors Ge Peifan, Liang Meifen and He Junyao also showed up. The participants shouted the slogan of "fighting for justice and returning to the rule of law", hoping to raise money to help the families of the seven policemen, and demanded legislation to protect public officials and make the crime of insulting public officials.

The candidate for the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Mrs Regina Ip, was present as an observer. She said that the morale of the police force was damaged, so she came to the scene to cheer up, and that she and the New Democracy Party were willing to donate money to the families of seven sentenced police officers.

Chief Executive Candidate Mrs Regina Ip.

Participants in the rally included active police officers, retired police officers and their families, etc. Earlier, the Police Officers’ Association called for police officers to enter the venue at 5 pm, and more and more people participated in the rally. By 6: 30, the nearby road was forced to explode, and cars could not enter. The police officers who maintained order at the scene called on their comrades to stand back on the road from time to time. Some participants spontaneously maintained order and asked everyone to take out their appointment cards in advance. Some participants shouted slogans, referring to "making history depends on everyone" and "working hard for everyone".

The conference was originally scheduled to start at 7 pm, but due to too many participants, a large number of people were still unable to enter the venue, and it is expected that it may not be able to start at 7: 30.

Chen Zuguang, chairman of the Hong Kong Police Officers’ Association, said at the meeting that the seven policemen were in a good mental state in prison and had expressed their willingness to appeal the case. They were worried about the financial burden of their families and the impact of the current situation on the appeal. The association immediately applied to the Commissioner of Police for internal fund-raising, and the application was approved on Monday (20th). It began to accept donations from colleagues yesterday (21st) in the hope of providing support to the seven police officers in the shortest possible time. Tan Huizhu, president of the founding association, also promised to organize a platform to receive public support.

Chen Zuguang went on to point out that the purpose of the gathering tonight is to regain dignity, not to be insulted unreasonably, to demand legislation to protect the dignity of law enforcers, and to write to the Chief Executive, to demand legislation to protect all public officials, to commit the crime of insulting public officials, and not to be insulted by words or actions when performing their duties.

Guo Baicong, chairman of the Hong Kong Police Inspector Association, said that he was saddened by the imprisonment of the seven policemen. On behalf of the superintendent, he fully supported the internal fund-raising activities; Li Zhan ‘an, Chairman of the Police Inspectors Association, and representatives of the Overseas Inspectors Association also spoke on the stage.

When the participants entered the venue, a woman holding a card with the words "Seven police officers divided their positions, her heart ached and her heart was bleeding" was so emotional that she once cried. After the disturbance, she found that she was not a police officer or a police officer’s family and was driven out. She was booed at the scene.