24 Facts About Lester Shum

Lester Shum Ngo-fai is a Hong Kong social activist and politician.

Lester Shum was a leader of the 2014 pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong and served as deputy secretary-general of the Hong Kong Federation of Students from April 2014 to March 2015.

Lester Shum was a member of the Tsuen Wan District Council for Hoi Bun from 2020 to 2021.

Lester Shum came to Hong Kong as a toddler during the mid-1990s.

Lester Shum identified as a Hongkonger, expressing his emotional attachment to the city.

Lester Shum initially majored in Information engineering, but later switched to studying Government and Public Administration.

Lester Shum was elected vice president of the Student Union at CUHK and held the position from 2013 to 2014.

Lester Shum then served as deputy secretary-general of the Hong Kong Federation of Students, from April 2014 to March 2015.

In September 2014, the student movement led to the massive Occupy protests, where Lester Shum was joined by thousands of pro-democracy activists to oppose Beijing's tightening control over Hong Kong.

Lester Shum was critical of how the government had handled the protests.

The arrest came after police sought a court order to clear the protest site, in which Lester Shum failed to comply.

Lester Shum was charged with criminal contempt of court over his participation in the Mong Kok protest, which he pleaded guilty on 28 November 2017.

The action followed long-running public concern at the proposed transfer, and Lester Shum stated the government's undertakings contradicted the public access and usage of the harbourfront.

On 4 September 2019, Lester Shum joined Chu and Joshua Wong as the trio arrived at Taipei, where they spoke about the ongoing Hong Kong protests at the Democratic Progressive Party's headquarters.

Lester Shum explained the law could interfere with the freedom of expression and the right to peaceful assembly.

Lester Shum contested in the 2019 Hong Kong District Council election for the Hoi Bun constituency.

In June 2020, Lester Shum declared his intention to run for the 2020 Hong Kong legislative election.

Lester Shum's disqualification was determined by an opaque process in which civil servants, who served as returning officers, assessed whether candidates objected to the enactment of the national security law, or expressed sincerity in statements made disavowing separatism.

On 28 February 2021, Lester Shum was charged with subversion along with other 46 activists and politicians.

In July 2022, Lester Shum contracted COVID-19 while in prison and was hospitalized for a week before being returned to prison.

On 6 May 2021, while awaiting trial along with other pro-democracy activists over the national security case, Lester Shum was sentenced to between four and six months in prison for participating in an unlawful assembly in 2020.

Lester Shum is married to Nicole Alexis Yu Sze-long, a former Now TV news anchor.

The couple wed in January 2021, as Lester Shum faced re-arrest and conviction under the National Security Law, alert to the greater prison visiting rights of spouses.

From 2014 to 2019, Lester Shum was in a relationship with Willis Ho, former deputy secretary-general of the Hong Kong Federation of Students.