Nine Hong Kong activists were jailed Wednesday for taking part in a ceremony honoring the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests. The pro-democracy activists are facing up to 10 months in jail. The nine are part of a group of 12 defendants who pleaded guilty earlier this month for participating in the ceremony. Three others were given suspended sentences. The ceremony had traditionally been held every year to honor the June 4, 1989 student-led pro-democracy protests in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square. The students called for an end to official corruption, political reforms and a more democratic society. The government response turned violent, and many demonstrators died. All nine activists were charged with taking part in an illegal gathering. Seven of them are facing an additional charge of persuading others to take part in the event. Police last year banned the annual ceremony for the first time in 30 years. Police said the ban was needed for public health reasons related to COVID-19, but critics say the ban is part of ongoing measures to stop political dissent. In 2019, there were months of anti-government protests in Hong Kong, which is a partly independent Chinese territory.
Title: Nine Hong Kong Activists Sentenced for Taking Part in Banned Ceremony
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5321/A.wav' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='Nine Hong Kong Activists Sentenced for Taking Part in Banned Ceremony' data-article-id='5876'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='13396'>Nine Hong Kong activists were jailed Wednesday for taking part in a ceremony honoring the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests.</span> <span data-start-time='13396' data-end-time='21042'>The pro-democracy activists are facing up to 10 months in jail.</span> <span data-start-time='21042' data-end-time='31771'>The nine are part of a group of 12 defendants who pleaded guilty earlier this month for participating in the ceremony. </span> <span data-start-time='31771' data-end-time='36750'>Three others were given suspended sentences.</span> <span data-start-time='36750' data-end-time='51292'>The ceremony had traditionally been held every year to honor the June 4, 1989 student-led pro-democracy protests in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square. </span> <span data-start-time='51292' data-end-time='60563'>The students called for an end to official corruption, political reforms and a more democratic society. </span> <span data-start-time='60563' data-end-time='67688'>The government response turned violent, and many demonstrators died.</span> <span data-start-time='67688' data-end-time='74354'>All nine activists were charged with taking part in an illegal gathering. </span> <span data-start-time='74354' data-end-time='83771'>Seven of them are facing an additional charge of persuading others to take part in the event.</span> <span data-start-time='83771' data-end-time='91125'>Police last year banned the annual ceremony for the first time in 30 years. </span> <span data-start-time='91125' data-end-time='105896'>Police said the ban was needed for public health reasons related to COVID-19, but critics say the ban is part of ongoing measures to stop political dissent. </span> <span data-start-time='105896' data-end-time='115854'>In 2019, there were months of anti-government protests in Hong Kong, which is a partly independent Chinese territory.</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button class='finished-reading' style='display:none;'>Done</button></div></div></div><div id='article-media'><div id='media-image'><img src='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5321/A.jpeg'/></div></div><div id='question-content' style='display:none;'><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=18063 data-hint-location='21042' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5321/what_does_guilty_mean.wav'>What does guilty mean?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='culpable of or responsible for a specified wrongdoing'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5321/culpable_of_or_responsible_for_a_specified_wrongdoing.wav'><span>culpable of or responsible for a specified wrongdoing</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5321/make_gullies_or_deep_channels_in.wav'><span>make gullies or deep channels in</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5321/exert_force_on_so_as_to_cause_movement_toward_oneself.wav'><span>exert force on so as to cause movement toward oneself</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5321/convert_a_liquid_to_a_fine_spray.wav'><span>convert a liquid to a fine spray</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=18064 data-hint-location='0' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5321/what_even_does_the_banned_ceremony_honor.wav'>What even does the banned ceremony honor?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='1989 Tiananmen Square protests'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5321/1989_tiananmen_square_protests.wav'><span>1989 Tiananmen Square protests</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5321/earth_day.wav'><span>Earth Day</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5321/easter_sunday.wav'><span>Easter Sunday</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5321/independence_day.wav'><span>Independence Day</span></div></div></div><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=18065 data-hint-location='91125' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5321/police_said_the_ban_was_needed_for_public_health_reasons_related_to__blank__but_critics_say_the_ban_is_part_of_ongoing_measures_to_stop_political_dissent_.wav'>Police said the ban was needed for public health reasons related to <span class='blank'>COVID-19</span>, but critics say the ban is part of ongoing measures to stop political dissent. </div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='COVID-19'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5321/covid19.wav'><span>COVID-19</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5321/allergies.wav'><span>allergies</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5321/h1n1.wav'><span>H1N1</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5321/frogs.wav'><span>frogs</span></div></div></div><div class='question-buttons'><button class='skip-button'></button><button class='hint-button'></button><button class='speak-button'></button></div></div></div>
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