[PHOTO STORY] Hong Kong’s Oath Taking Drama Turns Nasty

Thousands protested in Hong Kong this morning as two controversial lawmakers defied orders not to re-enter the legislature. Sixtus "Baggio" Leung Chung-hang (梁頌恆) and Yau Wai-ching (游蕙禎), both from the “localist” Youngspiration party, were barred from the Legislative chamber after swearing and insulting China when they first took their oaths on Oct. 12. The Hong Kong government has since gone to court to stop the pair from taking their seats in parliament.

Leung and Yau, part of a cadre of brash young politicians elected to the Legislative Council (LegCo) in September, today returned to parliament in a bid to retake their oaths. However, LegCo President Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen (梁君彥) reiterated his decision to “defer” the administration of their oaths until the court process is complete. On Oct. 11, the Hong Kong government warned that if a member swears his or her oath in “a manner or form” that was inconsistent with the rules, it would be “unlawful.”

Organizers estimate 10,000 protestors took to the streets outside the chamber to “denounce the duo,” the South China Morning Post reports. Local news website Hong Kong Free Press reports one of its journalists was attacked by a group of 20 pro-China protesters at the rally. The independent publication says that reporter Stanley Leung sustained minor injuries and the group stole a memory card from his camera.