Hong Kong District Court handed down the sentence on Sep. 1 to seven democracy activists for their role in an unauthorized rally during mass anti-government protests in 2019. Last month, the seven activists pleaded guilty to charges of organizing and inciting others to participate in an assembly on Oct. 20, 2019, when tens of thousands took to the streets to protest against the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP)encouragement of Hong Kong’s freedoms. Mass protests were triggered in mid-2019 after the city government announced plans to allow extradition to mainland China, but later morphed into a broader movement demanding greater democracy and freedoms in the face of the CCP’s growing control over Hong Kong. Over several months, millions of people came to the street to protest; they were often met with riot police who fired tear gas and water cannons to disperse them. Three activists were given the heaviest sentence of 16 months …