Ventus Lau

He came to media attention in the 2018 New Territories East by-election and his candidacy was disqualified by the returning officer for his previous pro-Hong Kong independence stance.

For his participation in the 2020 Hong Kong pro-democracy primaries he was part of a mass arrest on national security charges in January 2021 and remains in jail as of October 2021.

Lau first participated in politics on the invitation of his secondary school teacher Tam Hoi-pong to join the pro-democracy Neo Democrats in early 2014.

[2] Lau declared his candidacy in the 2018 New Territories East by-election, a seat left vacant by localist Baggio Leung of Youngspiration over the oath-taking controversy.

After the end of the nomination period, Lau's candidacy was disqualified by the returning officer on the basis of his previous support for the idea of Hong Kong independence.

[7] Lau sought to stand in the (later postponed) 2020 Hong Kong Legislative Council Election but on 30 July, five weeks ahead of the designated poll date, the government stated that he was among a dozen pro-democracy candidates whose nominations were 'invalid', under an opaque process in which, nominally, civil servants – returning officers – assess whether, for instance, a candidate had objected to the enactment of the national security law, or was sincere in statements made disavowing separatism.