Edward Leung

On 5 March 2020, it was reported in local media that Leung was transferred to a maximum-security prison. In April 2020 at the High Court of Hong Kong, Leung lost an appeal against the 6-year jail term in connection to rioting and assault of a police officer.

In 2019, Leung was recognized by Time magazine on its "100 Next", a list of rising stars expected to shape the future.

In 2019, Leung was recognized by Time magazine on its "100 Next", a list of rising stars expected to shape the future. The magazine called him a spiritual leader of the 2019 Hong Kong protests, which is a leaderless movement.

Leung's campaign slogan "Liberate Hong Kong, the revolution of our times" was chanted at almost every demonstration during Hong Kong protests in 2019. A crowdfunding campaign raised over HK$450,000 for Leung's appeal to seek a lighter sentence, exceeding a goal of HK$350,000, within 15 minutes of being launched in October 2019. Crowds of protestors gathered outside High Court where Leung appeared at his appeal, chanting "Release Edward Leung!", to show support.

On 11 June 2018, Leung was sentenced to six years in jail after being convicted of rioting under a colonial statute and assaulting a police officer during the Mong Kok riots. It is believed Leung's lengthy sentence was intended to intimidate activists and squelch political protest. He was acquitted of a further charge of inciting riots.

In January 2018, Edward Leung and five other protesters were charged for rioting in the Mong Kong protest, where Leung and Ray Wong were also charged for inciting riots. On top of that, Edward Leung was also charged for throwing plastic bottles and wooden cardboard to a member of the police. It was claimed that the attack had caused 2% permanent damage to the policeman.

In December 2017, he resigned from his position as spokesperson of Hong Kong Indigenous. In the same year, Lost in the Fumes, an award-winning documentary based on him, was released. In June 2018, he was convicted of riot and assaulting a police officer during the Mong Kok unrest and sentenced to jail for six years.

On 18 December 2017, he announced his departure from Hong Kong Indigenous ahead of his trial.

Lost in the Fumes, an award-winning biographical documentary by Nora Lam which focuses on Leung's life and political career, was released in November 2017. However, no mainstream cinema in Hong Kong was willing to screen the film, renewing fears about the continued erosion of freedom of speech and self-censorship in Hong Kong. Time magazine called the film essential viewing for participants of the 2019 Hong Kong protests.

Leung was born in China and moved to Hong Kong with his mother when he was around one year old. He studied at the University of Hong Kong, majoring in Philosophy with a minor in Politics and Public Administration, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 2016. He was a member of Ricci Hall, HKU and leading the development of it actively. Prior to this, he completed secondary education at Shung Tak Catholic English College in Yuen Long District, the district in which he still resides.

On 9 February 2016, three weeks before the election, Leung was widely reported by the international media after he was arrested by police during the civil unrest in Mong Kok, after the group Hong Kong Indigenous called upon the people to come onto street in defence of the unlicensed street hawkers from the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department inspectors. The confrontation later turned into violent clashes between police and the protesters. Leung and around 20 members and volunteers of the group were arrested.

Leung intended to run again in the 2016 Legislative Council election, but was challenged by the Electoral Affairs Commission (EAC)'s extra election measure requiring all candidates to sign an additional "confirmation form" in the nomination to declare their understanding of Hong Kong being an inalienable part of China as stipulated in the Basic Law of Hong Kong. Leung said he would not sign the form and would seek a judicial review. After the court refused to immediately hear the judicial reviews, Leung decided to sign the confirmation form. Before that, EAC returning officer Cora Ho Lai-sheung sent Leung an email asking if he would still advocate Hong Kong independence although he had signed the original form to pledge to uphold the Basic Law.

He is the spokesman of Hong Kong Indigenous, a localist group formed in early 2015. He had said that he believed in Hong Kong people's right of self-determination for independence. In January 2016, he represented the group to run in the New Territories East by-election of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong and was endorsed by Youngspiration, another localist group.

Edward Leung Tin-kei (Chinese: 梁天琦 ; born 2 June 1991) is a Hong Kong politician and activist. He is the former spokesman of Hong Kong Indigenous, a localist group. He was arrested in the 2016 Mong Kok civil unrest. He ran in the 2016 New Territories East Legislative Council by-election in the New Territories East and received more than 66,000 votes, around 15% of the votes. Five months later, he was barred from running in the 2016 Hong Kong Legislative Council election due to his pro-independence stance. Leung coined the slogan "Liberate Hong Kong, the revolution of our times" while he was running for the 2016 by-election, and it was later widely used during the 2019 Hong Kong protests.

22nd of January, Edward Leung admitted his action and was charged for assaulting the police. However, he denied charges of rioting and inciting riots. May 18th, the 9-person jury ruled that Edward Leung was guilty of rioting and police assaults, but not inciting for riots. He was given imprisonment of six years. The judge expressed that he didn't want to send the wrong message to the society that, one can pursue their belief through violence. He pointed out that riots are violent anti-social behaviors and those taking part must bear the responsibilities.