The election drew about 300 protesters outside the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center.
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The protests became known as the Umbrella Movement.
The other six include lawmakers and members of the Hong Kong Federation of Students.
When Lam on Monday toured neighborhoods to thank the public – who had no votes in her appointment – one elderly man wagged a finger at her and urged her to “serve Hong Kong people, not mainland China”, according to Cable TV footage. The 59-year-old will replace Leung Chun-ying, who won a similar election restricted to just 12-hundred voters in 2012.
But lawmaker Starry Lee, who chairs the pro-Beijing Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong (DAB), appeared to ignore the presumption of innocence, saying that “it is legitimate and reasonable that those who have broken the law should face criminal charges”.
“Early this morning, nobody expected the government would do this”, said Chan Kinman, a sociology professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong who helped organize the 2014 protests and was among those charged.
“This vindictiveness shows contempt for well-established freedoms in Hong Kong and will only lead to more political tensions”, she said in a statement. In a city known for being an global finance hub, where at least a quarter of a million people work in banking, finance and insurance, according to Hong Kong data, only 54 people represent finance, financial services and insurance.
Speaking to reporters Monday, Lam said that prosecutions are “undertaken independently by the Department of Justice”. He has promised to increase Hong Kongers’ involvement in the political process.
Some activists are refusing to accept the election results. “And whether she can say no to Beijing will be key”.
During her campaign, Lam stressed repeatedly she was in a passive position and she had no way to ask the liaison office to stop lobbying – even as she admitted its intervention was “counter-productive”.
Takchi Tam is a democracy activist. “If the Chief Executive has a better working relationship and cooperation with the central government, it will create miracles for Hong Kong and reduce a lot of unnecessary disputes”. “These are two big issues for Hong Kongnese”.
But she could also sometimes be a “bully”, he added.
On Sunday, Lam was elected in by a committee selected from the city’s business and political establishment, not the people.
“Politically, as long as [Chinese president] Xi Jinping, the real hardliner, continues to govern China, he will continue to tighten his grip on Hong Kong and stop Hong Kong from democratizing”. The blueprint was vetoed in 2015 by pro-democracy lawmakers as “fake” Chinese-style democracy.Political and social divisions have led to some legislative and policy-making paralysis and the stalling of major projects, including a cultural hub and high-speed rail link to China.While Hong Kong’s proximity to China has been a boon, bringing investment and spending, businesses have also faced growing competition from mainland firms in sectors like services and property.
He said, “She’s not only trusted by China but also I think that there would be a grudging respect for her in Hong Kong itself”. Carrie Lam said she wanted to mend the society, but the message we got today is prosecution. The newspaper said the election was open and transparent.
But Ms Chan said the arrests would make that more hard.
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The Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, under China’s State Council, said that Ms Lam met the standards of “loving the country and Hong Kong, being trusted by the central government, being capable of governing and enjoying the support of the people”, the official Xinhua News Agency reported, citing an agency spokesperson.
