Citizens' Radio went on the air last night despite being found guilty and fined for illegal broadcasting yesterday.
The station and five activists were fined between HK$3,000 and HK$12,000 yesterday, with the magistrate describing the civil disobedience motive behind the offenses as ``noble.''
Douglas Yau Tak-hong, who sat as magistrate despite being appointed a District Court judge in September, also praised the group for their determination to fight for justice.
Station convenor Tsang Kin-shing said the group will not pay the fines and are prepared to go to jail.
They were found guilty of broadcasting without a license in Mong Kok, Causeway Bay and Wan Chai on the FM 102.8 MHz frequency between August 2005 and December 2006.
The 14 summonses dealt with yesterday are the result of about 90 issued since 2005.
Yau said since the Court of Final Appeal quashed his previous judgment and ruled the Telecommunication Ordinance to be constitutional, there are few disputes left in the case.
He decided a custodial sentence would be too severe in view of the medium scale of the offense, the defendants' aim to demand opening the airwaves, and the confiscation of most of the equipment.
Although the defendants had made it clear they will not accept community service, fine, and being bound over to keep the peace, Yau said a fine will be most appropriate and warned failing to pay it may lead to imprisonment.
A fine of HK$3,000 was ordered for each of the summons.
Citizens' Radio and Tsang were each fined HK$12,000 and lawmaker ``Long Hair'' Leung Kwok-hung was fined HK$6,000.
The other defendants, Chan Miu-tak, Poon Tat-keung and Yang Kuang, were fined between HK$3,000 and HK$6,000.
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