HONG KONG—Police arrested three prominent opposition activists as authorities cracked down on dissent ahead of an anticipated 13th weekend of protests in the city, a move that could give new energy to the movement.
Joshua Wong, a leading pro-democracy campaigner who is secretary-general of the youth political group Demosisto, was taken into custody Friday morning on his way to a subway station near his home, Demosisto said. Police pushed 22-year-old Mr. Wong into a private car on the street and he was taken to the city’s police headquarters, the group said.
Another prominent Demosisto figure, Agnes Chow, was arrested separately at her home, the group said. The police can hold people for up to 48 hours without charging them.
Their arrests, which came a day after police denied approval for a massive rally that was planned for Saturday, prompted calls online for people to come out in solidarity with the two young activists. Renewed clashes between protesters and police were expected over the weekend after police blocked the protest, citing fears of violence, meaning any assembly would be considered illegal. Protesters began circulating online notices soon after the Thursday ban, saying they would demonstrate anyway.
“The coordinated arrests of prominent figures of the movement are meant to intimidate people ahead of the weekend,” said Ching Kwan Lee, chair professor of social science at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. “But based on past experiences, the more repression and intimidation, the more people are motivated to take to the streets.”
The Hong Kong Police Force said Mr. Wong and 22-year-old Ms. Chow are suspected of inciting others to participate in unauthorized assembly and participating in an unauthorized assembly related to a June 21 siege of police headquarters. Mr. Wong is also suspected of organizing an unauthorized assembly.
Separately, Andy Chan, who was the leader of the banned pro-independence Hong Kong National Party, said on Facebook late Thursday that he was about to be detained at the airport while trying to board a flight to Japan. Last year, authorities banned his fringe group.
On Friday morning, police said they arrested a 29-year-old man surnamed Chan at the airport for participating in a “riot” and for assaulting a police officer. The Organized Crime And Triad Bureau was investigating, it said.
The protests in Hong Kong were initially sparked by widespread objection to a bill that would have allowed extradition of criminal suspects to China. But the demonstrations have broadened into a pro-democracy movement that has in recent weeks descended into confrontation and clashes. The government has suspended the bill but hasn’t withdrawn it or negotiated with protesters over other key demands, including universal suffrage and an investigation into police conduct.
The Saturday rally, which was rejected by police, was planned by the organizers of the biggest turnouts in three months of protests. The Civil Human Rights Front’s march was expected to begin in Hong Kong’s central business district and then move west toward the Chinese government’s liaison office. An appeal by the group was rejected Friday.
“The government has closed off all peaceful means of protests,” said Jimmy Sham, convenor for the group, an umbrella organization that includes about 50 NGOs, pan-democratic parties and others focusing on human rights. Mr. Sham said the group would cancel the Saturday rally, but would file applications for another legal march to allow people a lawful and peaceful avenue to express themselves.
Demosisto’s Mr. Wong, an icon of the pro-democracy movement, has said previously that while he understands the use of more radical means to protest given the lack of concessions during this summer’s demonstrations, he doesn’t advocate or practice violence. Over the past three months, the protests in Hong Kong have been largely leaderless with no single person in charge. Instead, smaller groups have decided among themselves how best to participate in the demonstrations, including organizing on messaging platforms like Telegram.
Nevertheless, some pro-democracy fighters remain influential. Mr. Wong’s arrest and detention in 2014 drove supporters out into the streets, eventually leading to a 79-day street occupation of the city’s downtown area known as the Umbrella Movement. Those protests to demand more democratic elections from Beijing fizzled without gaining any concessions from Beijing.
Write to Natasha Khan at natasha.khan@wsj.com
