1 INTRODUCTION
2. THE TROTSKYITE CASE
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It had been twelve years since a magistrate's court last sentenced people to jail on the charge of unlawful assembly and this happened again in 1979 when seven people were sentenced to jail
for up to three months for unlawful assembly. It was because that the Colonial Government was afraid of the ever developing strength of the local mass movements which, in the long run, would become a potential danger to the stability of the colonial system. It was because that the Colonial Government was afraid of the politically conscious groups which tried to conscientize the mass movements which threatened
to question the legitimacy of the colonial rule.
On April 22 1979, the Hong Kong Police took action to arrest seven members of the Revolutionary Marxist League (RML) and later charged them with unlawful assembly before the New China News Agency on April 5 1979. The RML is a local political organization and has been in Hong Kong for many years. Its members come mainly from the working class people and they claim that they follow the line of thinking of Trotsky. They have been very critical and active on China affairs and local issues.
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE EVENT
On April 5, the RML intended to conduct a public gathering at Victoria Park to celebrate the third Anniversary of the Teen On Mun Incidence in China. Prior to the gathering the RML had applied for a permit from the Hong Kong Police on March 23 for that occasion. The application was accepted on April 4 but severe and unreasonable restrictions were imposed on the gathering. Among these were for example, no banners, posters, flags or any other proganda were allowed to be distributed or hung at the meeting place or in its vicinity.
However, owing to a very heavy rainfall on April 5, the
RML decided to cancel the gathering and announced that they would present a petition to the New China News Agency on the following afternoon. No public disturbance or a breach of peace was ever reported.
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