Hong Kong University removes Tiananmen massacre statue | Hong Kong protest news

Workers removed a monument at the University of Hong Kong, which celebrates the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre, on Thursday morning because of its inconvenience to its founder in Denmark.

The 8-meter-tall (26-foot-tall) column of Shame, depicting 50 torn and twisted bodies piled on top of each other, was made by Danish sculptor Jens Galschiøt to symbolize the lives lost in bloody military repression against pro-democracy protesters. Tiananmen Square, Beijing, June 4, 1989.

But when the state became controversial in October, it called for the university to be removed, even though the decision provoked a backlash from activists and rights groups.

Galschiøt offered to return to Denmark if he was granted legal immunity because he would not be prosecuted under Hong Kong’s national security law, but he has not succeeded so far.

Workers laid a barricade at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) monument on Wednesday night. The sounds of drilling and loud noises could be heard from the stage, which was guarded by the guards.

HKU confirmed that the statue had been removed and placed in storage after the operation was completed.

“The decision on the aging state was based on the interest of the University in external legal advice and risk assessment,” the university said.

His statement said that no party had ever obtained approval to show the state and even mentioned the Colonial-era Crime Ordinance to justify its removal.

In October, the university informed the now-defunct candlestick organizer, the Hong Kong Alliance for National Democratic Movement of China, that the state should be removed following a “final risk assessment and legal advice.”

The organization said it was dismantling, citing an atmosphere of oppression, and that it did not own the sculpture. Instead they told the university to talk to its founder.

Galschiøt confirms ownership

When the Associated Press reached out to the news agency, sculptor Galschiøt said he only knew about what was happening with the sculpture on social media and other reports on Wednesday.

“We don’t know exactly what happened, but I’m afraid they will destroy it,” he said. “This is my sculpture, and it’s my property.”

He had previously written to the university to confirm ownership of the monument, although his requests were largely ignored. He also warned the university that he could claim compensation in case of removal of the statue if it is damaged.

Hong Kong authorities have sharpened political dissent after the imposition of a national security law that seemed to target a large part of the pro-democracy movement.

Beijing enacted a law outlawing secession, subversion, terrorism and foreign co-operation in 2019 after months of protests against the government.

They think it’s gone, but they’ve given it a new and bigger meaning as a work of art. https://t.co/DJygp082im

– Yuen Chan (@xinwenxiaojie) December 23, 2021

More than 100 pro-democracy activists have been arrested under national security law, criticizing Hong Kong for revoking the freedoms it had promised when it was given to China by Britain in 1997.

The Pillar of Shame monument has been around for more than two decades, initially in Victoria Park, Hong Kong, and eventually moved to Hong Kong University for a long time.

Every year, on June 4, members of the now-defunct student union cleaned the state to celebrate the Tiananmen massacre. The city, along with Macao, was the only place on Chinese soil that was allowed to hold repression in Tiananmen.

For the past two years, authorities have banned the annual candlelight vigil in Hong Kong, citing the public risks of the coronavirus pandemic.

About 24 activists were charged last year for their role in guarding Tiananmen, and thousands of activists showed up at the event, breaking thousands of barricades in the park to sing songs and light candles despite police banning the event.