Thousands Protest in Hong Kong against jailing of pro-democracy leaders

Hong Kong, Aug 21 : Thousands of people took to the streets of Hong Kong to protest against the jailing of three pro-democracy leaders for their involvement in the 2014 anti-government occupation known as the umbrella movement, the media said.

Last week a Hong Kong court sentenced Joshua Wong, Nathan Law and Alex Chow -- three young organisers of the protests that rocked Hong Kong -- to jail terms ranging from six to eight months, reports CNN.

They were convicted of unlawful assembly after they stormed government property in June 2014, leading to the 79-day sit-in of major roads in the heart of the city's financial district.

On Sunday, demonstrators walked from the Wan Chai district to the Court of Final Appeal, where the three activists are expected to lodge an appeal against their sentences on Monday.

Police told CNN the number of protesters during the peak period was about 22,000. While the protest organisers did not provide their own count, activist Agnes Chow said it was the biggest protest since the 2014 Occupy movement.

"We were surprised that there were so many people coming out," she told CNN on Monday.

"Originally we predicted a few thousand (attendees) but there were a lot more."

In 2014, hundreds of thousands of people crammed city streets to demand a say in the election of Hong Kong's leadership, and greater autonomy from China.

Wong, 20, has been sentenced to eight months in prison, reduced to six months on account of previous community service, while fellow defendants Law, 24, and Chow, 26, were sentenced to 10 months, reduced to eight, and eight months, reduced to seven, respectively.