Five Hong Kong pro-democracy activists will admit their guilt over participating in last summer’s unauthorized commemoration of the Tiananmen Square massacre, they informed the court on Friday.

The annual Tiananmen candlelight vigil on June 4 normally attracts thousands of participants to mark the violent events of 1989 in Beijing, but last year the event was banned by city police as a COVID-19 control measure.

Vigil organisers, instead, asked the public to light candles privately in remembrance of the incident, while the United States and the European Union openly criticized the ban.

But thousands defied authorities by gathering in Victoria Park, the yearly venue of the vigil. Up to two dozen opposition figures — including Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai, longtime Chinese civil rights activist Lee Cheuk-yan and human rights lawyer Albert Ho — assembled to observe a moment of silence in tribute.

They were all later charged with crimes including inciting people to participate in an unauthorized assembly and knowingly taking part in an unauthorized assembly, which carry a maximum penalty of five years in jail.

Five of the defendants — Joshua Wong, Eddie Chu, Lester Shum, Tiffany Yuen and Jannelle Leung — on Friday informed the court through their attorney that they will plead guilty to knowingly participating in an unauthorized assembly.

District Court Judge Anthony Kwok has scheduled a hearing on April 30 for the five to enter their plea formally, while the court will hear the case of the remaining 19 defendants on June 11. Legal disputes stemming from this case could lead to an appeal to Hong Kong’s highest court, he has noted.

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