A 46-year-old unemployed man indicated through his defence at the District Court on 8 September 2026 that he intended to plead guilty in a case arising from a 2019 Mong Kok gathering. The case was adjourned to 28 October for formal plea-taking, and bail was continued.
Wang Ruoshi had been acquitted in 2021 of one charge of unlawful assembly and another involving the use of a masked-face item. The Department of Justice later appealed by way of case stated, and the appeal succeeded. The acquittal was overturned and the case was sent back to the District Court for retrial.
The charges arose from a gathering and road blockage in Mong Kok on 10 November 2019, during a protest. The reported location included the area around Nathan Road and Shantung Street.
The reports differ on the precise face-covering item involved. Star Headline reported that the charge concerned an ear-loop mask, while the other report referred more generally to a masked-face item. Star Headline also reported that the defence agreed Wang had worn a gas mask and gloves and carried a fluorescent baton and cable ties, describing the evidence as overwhelming.
The acquittal was recorded in 2021, followed by a Department of Justice appeal in 2024, according to one report. Another described the appeal as being filed about two and a half years after the acquittal. The appellate ruling was issued before the September 2026 District Court hearing, but the supplied reports do not give its precise date or reasoning.
Wang has not yet formally pleaded guilty, and no sentence has been reported. The immediate next step is the scheduled plea-taking hearing on 28 October 2026, while he remains on bail.