Raphael Wong

Raphael Wong
黃浩銘
Vice-chairman of the League of Social Democrats
Incumbent
Assumed office 21 February 2014
Preceded by	Tang Chui-chung
Personal details
Born	24 October 1988 Hong Kong
Political party	League of Social Democrats
Residence	Hong Kong
Alma mater	Hong Kong Polytechnic University Chinese University of Hong Kong

Raphael Wong Ho-ming (Chinese: 黃浩銘; 24 October 1988) is a Hong Kong social activist and politician. He is currently vice-chairman of the League of Social Democrats (LSD) and was one of the leaders in the 2014 Hong Kong protests.

Family and education

Wong was born in Hong Kong in 1988. His father, Wong Yu-choi is a pro-Beijing rural politician, belonging to the Civil Force and holding the position of member of the Sha Tin Rural Committee and resident representative of the Ha Wo Che village in Sha Tin.

Raphael was educated at the Shatin Pui Ying College and graduated from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University with a bachelor's degree in social science and the Chinese University of Hong Kong with a master's degree in social policy.

Politics and protests

Wong first got interested in politics in the 2008 Legislative Council election, when pro-democracy League of Social Democrats (LSD) chairman Wong Yuk-man chanted "DAB the most shameless" in an election forum. He started listening to Wong's internet radio and joined the LSD despite his father's opposition. He participated in the 1 July demonstration in 2009 for the first time.^[1]

In the 2010 July 1 demonstration, he joined the sit-in at the Central Government Offices after the demonstration. On 1 July 2011, he was one of the protesters blocked the Connaught Road Central.^[1]

On 1 March 2011, Wong and another protestor Wong Chun-kit protested against Chief Executive Donald Tsang when Tsang was on his way to the Hong Kong Museum of History in Tsim Sha Tsui. Wong held a box of rice with fish in corn sauce and ran towards Tsang. They were charged of hitting Tsang but later was found innocent by the court.^[2]

On 29 June 2012 during Chinese President Hu Jintao's visit in Hong Kong, five LSD members including Wong protested at the North Lantau Highway where Hu's car passed by. They climbed over a metal fence, scrambling onto a slope to hold up two banners reading: "Vindication of the June 4th crackdown"; and "Give me back [Li] Wangyang". They were later charged and fined for improper use of an expressway.^[3]

On 11 June 2014, Wong was charged along with Scholarism convenor Joshua Wong, former secretary general of Hong Kong Federation of Students Nathan Law and People Power legislator Albert Chan for obstructing police officers when they burnt replicas of Beijing's white paper interpreting Hong Kong's one country, two systems principle during a protest outside the Liaison Office. They were later found not guilty.^[4]

As a veteran activist, Wong was one of the leaders during the 2014 Hong Kong protests, which often called as "Umbrella Revolution". He was deeply involved in the movement and was later arrested with Joshua Wong, the main leader of the protests and Chinese University's Student Union member Jason Szeto Tze-long on 25 November during the police clearance of the Mong Kok sit-in site.^[5]

In 2014, Wong became the vice-chairman of the LSD.

In 2011 and 2015, Wong ran in the District Council elections in his neighbourhood Lek Yuen but was both defeated. In the 2016 Legislative Council election, he will run in the New Territories West with incumbent legislator Albert Chan of the People Power standing in the second place of his ticket.

References

1. "齊請梁振英食豉椒炒魷". Apple Daily. 18 June 2013.
2. "'No evidence of attack on Tsang'". South China Morning Post. 20 July 2011.
3. "LSD members fined for highway protest". South China Morning Post. 12 August 2013.
4. Cheng, Kris (7 June 2016). "Joshua Wong and activists not guilty of obstructing police officers in 'white paper' burning". Hong Kong Free Press.
5. Ong, Larry (25 November 2014). "Hong Kong Breaking: Student Leaders Joshua Wong, Lester Shum Arrested in Mong Kok Clearing". Epoch Times.