Pro-independence lawmakers in Hong Kong cause a brawl in new attempt to read their oath

The two lawmakers had previously used the ceremony to protest China's control of Hong Kong.

Pro-independence lawmakers in Hong Kong stormed into the Legislative Council to take their oath into office.

Yau Wai-ching, 25, and Sixtus "Baggio" Leung, 30, who were recently elected as representatives of the localist Youngspiration party formed following the 2014 pro-democracy protests, were making a third attempt at the swearing-in ceremony.

Video recordings of the session shows Yau rushing to the centre of the room to read out the oath, swiftly joined by Leung. The two kept reading their oath as they were surrounded by guards trying to escort them out. Other pro-democracy lawmakers rushed to their defence, the groups physically clashing. Leung and Yau were eventually thrown out of the chamber, the meeting was adjourned, and police were called to the scene.

According to pro-Beijing lawmaker Starry Lee, at least four security guards were injured in the commotion. Speaking to local press afterwards, Yau said her mission was to complete the oath. "I did complete my oath today," she claimed as she was surrounded by cameras and reporters.

The first time the two lawmakers were due to take the oath, they changed the text to show their opposition to China's control of the territory of Hong Kong, a former British colony that was handed over to China in 1997. They pledged allegiance to the "Hong Kong nation" and held banners reading "Hong Kong is not China", swearing and mispronouncing China.

What the oath says

The oath at the centre of the controversy explicitly requires lawmakers to recognise the authority of the People's Republic of China: "I swear that, being a member of the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, I will uphold the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, bear allegiance to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China and serve the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region conscientiously, dutifully, in full accordance with the law, honestly and with integrity."

Having caused outrage in the chamber, the two oaths were considered void, and the swearing-in ceremony was postponed. A High Court rejected the request for a delay, but agreed to a judicial review. A second ceremony was scheduled for 19 October, but the pro-Beijing camp staged a walk-out to prevent reaching the quorum needed to validate the oaths.

The council's president had barred the lawmakers from taking the oath until the court decides whether they can do so or not. The two had previously violated the ban to enter the chamber on 25 October, escorted by a human chain. They will face the court on 3 November at 10am local time (2am GMT).

Before the two lawmakers defied the ban and rushed into the chamber, one of their pro-democracy colleagues, Lau Siu-lai, who was elected in the council as an independent, was able to complete her oath ceremony. Her first attempt was also nullified because she took 10 minutes to read it, and added words to it afterwards. The woman was hit by a shoe during the recording of a TV talk show by a pro-Beijing member of the audience on 30 October.