Jimmy sham speaks at a press conference, outside the Legislative Council of Hong Kong, in June.

Thomas Peter/Reuters

The brutal attack on one of Hong Kong’s most prominent democracy leaders, who was reportedly beaten with a hammer by a group of unidentified individuals, is widely condemned by the territory’s government, opposition lawmakers and Amnesty international.

Jimmy sham, who leads the Civic front for human rights, or CHRF, and has been active in the months-long anti-government protest movement, was left bloodied and dazed after Wednesday night’s attack in Hong Kong’s congested Mong Kok district.

? Hong Kong-Be careful (@BeWaterHKG) October 16, 2019

Police said sham was bleeding from his hands and feet after four or five people intercepted him as he was on his way to a CHRF meeting.

“During the attack, passers-by tried to save sham, but the attackers threatened them not to do so,” free press quoted FIGU Chan as saying.

“When Jimmy sham was taken to the ambulance, he told me,’ Five demands, not one less, ‘” Chan said, referring to a slogan popular among Pro-democracy demonstrators who are pushing for more freedom in the territory.

(Top news) the Convener of the Civil rights front, Jimmy sham C-kit, has just been attacked again! Jimmy sham was on his way to a meeting in Mong Kok and was attacked by about 4-5 people with hammers, resulting in bleeding head injuries ….

? Human rights civic front (@chrf_hk) October 16, 2019

Sham was taken to hospital and by Thursday morning was seen in a wheelchair talking to his lawyer, the South China Morning Post reported. In a post on his Facebook page, he said he had stitches and was in pain, but was spurred on by the protesters ‘ cause and the love he showed while in the hospital.

Hong Kong’s No 2 official, chief Secretary Matthew Cheng kin-Chun, said the attack was “totally unacceptable” and Amnesty International called it “shocking in its brutality.”

“The authorities must immediately investigate this horrific attack, bring all those responsible to justice and send a clear message that the attack on the activists will have consequences,” Amnesty said in a statement. “Anything less will send a terrifying signal that the government is putting up with such attacks.”

The attack is reminiscent of incidents in July when about three dozen people were injured when groups of white men in shirts lashed out at Pro-democracy demonstrators across the city, punching and beating them with batons before disappearing.

Although the attackers who descended on sham remain unknown, protesters and Pro-democracy lawmakers were quick to offer a link to the government, which has sought for months to quell demonstrations many of which were peaceful, though others turned violent and led to clashes between police and mostly young activists.

Sham’s group, CHRF, said in a statement: “It is not difficult to link this incident to the spread of political terror in order to threaten and impede the legitimate exercise of natural and legitimate rights.”

Speaking to fellow lawmakers in Hong Kong’s legislature on Thursday, Claudia Mo, a prominent member of the chamber’s pan-democratic camp, said she and her colleagues “can’t shake the feeling that this is all part of a plan to shed blood on peaceful Hong Kong protests.”