Hong Kong lawmakers defy ban as standoff over oaths drags on

Newly elected Hong Kong lawmakers Yau Wai-ching, left, and Sixtus Leung are surrounded by journalists inside the Legislative chamber in Hong Kong Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2016. Unruly scenes have gripped Hong Kong’s legislature as two newly elected lawmakers defied an order barring them from entering to retake their oaths after being disqualified for swearing and insulting China the first time. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) (The Associated Press)

Newly elected Hong Kong lawmakers Yau Wai-ching, left, and Sixtus Leung are surrounded by journalists inside the Legislative chamber in Hong Kong Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2016. Unruly scenes have gripped Hong Kong’s legislature as two newly elected lawmakers defied an order barring them from entering to retake their oaths after being disqualified for swearing and insulting China the first time. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) (The Associated Press)

Newly elected Hong Kong lawmakers Yau Wai-ching, right, and Sixtus Leung, left, are surrounded by photographers at legislature council in Hong Kong Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2016. Unruly scenes have gripped Hong Kong’s legislature as two newly elected lawmakers defied an order barring them from entering to retake their oaths after being disqualified for swearing and insulting China the first time. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu) (The Associated Press)

More unruly scenes have erupted in Hong Kong's legislature as two newly elected lawmakers defied an order barring them from retaking their oaths after being disqualified earlier for insulting China.

Surrounded by journalists and other lawmakers, Yau Wai-ching and Sixtus Leung of the Youngspiration party entered the Legislative Council's main chamber on Wednesday. They refused to leave and the session was adjourned.

At a swearing-in ceremony two weeks ago, they modified their oaths in an act of defiance by using a derogatory word for China. Yau also slipped in an expletive.

The legislature's president wanted to stop them from taking their oaths until a court rules next month on a legal challenge filed by the Hong Kong government, which wants to stop them from taking office.