A Hong Kong graffiti artist who was previously convicted for tagging the word “Freedom” across the city has been remanded in custody after being charged with criminal damage for the third time.
Appearing before Magistrate Gary Chu at the West Kowloon Law Courts on Thursday, 42-year-old Chan King-fai was taken into remand after he was again charged with three counts of criminal damage. He allegedly defaced shopfronts, traffic light control boxes, and traffic signs in Kwai Chung in 2023.
Chan, who was not required to enter a plea on Thursday, is scheduled to appear in court again on July 3.
The graffiti artist was taken into detention after his bail application was denied. Chan had been granted bail on two earlier occasions when he was charged with criminal damage.
In March, the street artist was charged with 20 counts of criminal damage for tagging the Chinese characters for “Freedom” combined with dollar signs in the vicinity of Central and Sheung Wan between January 5 and February 5 this year.
He allegedly did so “with the intention of damaging or being reckless as to whether or not the property would be damaged,” according to a court document. Chan is scheduled to appear in court on June 23 for the case.
Chan was also previously arrested and charged with criminal damage in February 2023 after tagging objects – including buildings, shops, fuse boxes, bridges, and private vehicles – across the city between January and February that year.
He was sentenced to a one-year probation order in December 2023 for tagging the word “Freedom” across Hong Kong some 130 times, after admitting 20 counts of criminal damage and telling police that the graffiti was a response to financial pressure.
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