A student protester who was shot in the chest with live ammunition on Tuesday has been charged with one count of rioting and two counts of assaulting police in the execution of their duties.

Tsang Chi-kin, 18, was shot in Tsuen Wan as a group of protesters clashed with officers during mass unrest on National Day. He was shot in his left lung—three centimetres from his heart—and was in stable condition after surgery.

Shatin Magistrates Court. Photo: Wikimedia.

The student was among a group of seven people charged with rioting. The defendants were due to appear at the Shatin Magistrates’ Court on Thursday afternoon. One of the other protesters charged, a 38-year-old man, is also facing one count of arson.

Tsang is expected to remain in Queen Elizabeth Hospital and is represented in court by his lawyer.

Commissioner of Police Stephen Lo and the force’s top brass have defended the shooting as “lawful and reasonable,” saying that the officer who fired the gun had followed guidelines and international standards.

Stephen Lo. Photo: inmediahk.net.

On Thursday, a leaked memo showed that the police relaxed its guidelines on using lethal force on September 30 the day before Tsang was shot.

Hong Kong saw citywide unrest on Tuesday as the People’s Republic of China celebrated its 70th anniversary. The city has been rocked by over 17 consecutive weeks of protest sparked by a now-soon-to-be-withdrawn extradition bill, which would have enabled fugitive transfers to China.

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