A marathon court hearing that began on Monday afternoon was forced to halt at 1:45 a.m. in Hong Kong when an ambulance was called after one of the defendants facing national security law charges collapsed.

Chief Magistrate Victor So adjourned the proceedings until 11:30 a.m. Tuesday after Wan Chai district councilor Clarisse Yeung fainted. Of the 47 defendants, 27 had still not applied for bail by the time the proceedings were adjourned. All the defendants will remain in custody overnight until the proceedings resume Tuesday.

Earlier in the hearing, Civic Party chairperson and barrister Alan Leong, representing four members of his party, said that prosecutors were dealing a “serious blow to freedom and human rights” by taking advantage of the stringent bail rules under the national security law.

Maggie Yang, deputy director of public prosecutions in special duties, told the court that police investigators needed time to inspect the contents of seized digital devices and look through the defendants’ finances.

The defendants, aged 23 to 64, each face one count of “conspiracy to commit subversion” under the national security law, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Prosecutors alleged that the democrats conspired to cripple the Hong Kong government via their “35-plus” electoral strategy, which proposed to use a legislative majority to veto government budgets and policies, according to a court document.

As part of this conspiracy, the defendants organized or participated in the unofficial primary poll held by the pro-democracy camp last summer, prosecutors added.

Before the hearing began, some of the defendants appeared defiant and used the courtroom’s live microphones to speak their minds: former lawmaker Lam Cheuk-ting declared his love for his wife, while activist Gwyneth Ho sang songs by the local musicians Keung To, Mirror and Anson Lo.

Hundreds of supporters gathered outside the West Kowloon Law Courts throughout the day, with many wearing black and occasionally chanting slogans. Shortly before 4 p.m., an officer raised a purple warning flag – indicating a breach of the national security law – after the crowd chanted the banned slogan, “Liberate Hong Kong, the revolution of our times.”

Near nightfall, police blocked off streets and conducted body searches that included bystanders and journalists. Officers warned that they may use force to disperse the unlawful assembly in the area.

Monday’s hearing drew the attention of consular representatives from the United States, Britain, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands and the European Union, though not all of them managed to secure seats in the courtroom.

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