HONG KONG • A Hong Kong democracy activist was jailed yesterday over Umbrella Movement mass protests, as fears grow that freedoms are under threat in the semi-autonomous city.

Activist Alvin Cheng, 28, was sentenced to three months in prison for criminal contempt of court.

The charge related to defying an injunction order for activists to clear a sprawling protest camp in the commercial area of Mong Kok in November 2014 during the Umbrella Movement rallies, which called for fully free leadership elections but failed to win concessions from Beijing.

Mong Kok saw some of the most violent clashes during the demonstrations, and some activists refused to leave the site despite the order from the authorities.

Judge Andrew Chan said Cheng had shown "little remorse" and also chastised him for being late for hearings and for playing with his mobile phone.

Another protester, Au Yuk Kwan, was fined HK$10,000 (S$1,800), also for defying the clearance injunction, and was given a suspended one-month jail sentence.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE