to the Government House. Protesters ended up with a sit-down on Garden Road after the police blocked the way of the march. It brought a serve traffic disruption. Sentencing has been adjourned until 16 May. On 8 May 2013, Melody Chan, a 26-year-old volunteer of the Occupy Central movement was arrested for her alleged involvement in the blocking of roads in Central nearly two years ago, the same protest that Wong Yuk-man and Albert Chan took part in and were charged much earlier. 2016 Mong Kok unrest In the 2016 Mong Kok civil unrest, the government prosecuted 36 protesters with the charge of rioting, a charge previously used only three times since 1970 which carried a maximum sentence of ten years' imprisonment under the POO. British human rights watchdog Hong Kong Watch criticised the charge of "rioting" and "incitement to riot" under the POO was vague and could lead to excessive punishment for protesters. Criticisms The POO is criticized as a mean to suppress Hong Kong people's civil liberties. The Reform Club of Hong Kong objected the legislation of the bill when it was first introduced in 1967. It stated the bill made every peace-loving resident of Hong Kong a potential criminal and made innocent persons who were charged with offences against it would 'be in grave danger of conviction, if they could not afford a lawyer and were undefended. The system of letter of no objection has been criticised as a license system in disguise. If the police were to enforce the system strictly, there would large numbers of people would have to be prosecuted. However it would become a dead letter in the statute book and contrary to the rule of law principle if the law is not faithfully put into practice without discrimination. See also Hong Kong Basic Law Article 23 Human rights in Hong Kong Macau national security law References Bibliography External links A Note on provisions relating to the regulation of public meetings and public processions in the Public Order Ordinance (Cap. 245) "Public Order Ordinance," the existing provisions Bill Committee of the 1997 Public Order (Amendment) Bill Outdated and Draconian: Hong Kong's Public Order Ordinance – Hong Kong Watch 10 July 2019 Hong Kong society Hong Kong legislation Human rights in Hong Kong Political repression in Hong Kong