HKU May Remove Tiananmen Sculpture

The Pillar of Shame stands at Haking Wong Podium at HKU

The University of Hong Kong is reportedly planning to remove the Pillar of Shame, the sculpture that commemorates those who died on June 4, 1989 in Beijing.

Danish artist Jens Galschiot created the 8-metre-tall sculpture, which reminds people of the horrific event which must never recur. The sculpture features 50 torn and twisted bodies that symbolize the degradation,  devaluation and lack of respect of the individual. 

Artist Galschiot created four of these sculptures

There are four Pillar of Shame sculptures, the others are in Italy, Mexico and Brazil.

In 1997, the Pillar of Shame was gifted to the Alliance in Support for Democratic Patriotic Movements of China, which is now disbanded, and most recently its assets frozen by the national security police department.

The alliance and its core members are also charged with inciting subversion.  

It was the HKU students who fought with university leadership to have the statue on campus, and it was subsequently displayed in other universities including Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

So perhaps it's not surprising university management may be taking advantage of the alliance's disbandment and legal issues to possibly remove the sculpture, though it claims it has reviewed risk management measures and facility usage on campus from time to time, but refused to comment on this possible move.

The sculpture is a reminder of June 4, 1989

"The University... will not respond to speculative reports," its spokesman said.

If the sculpture is removed, it will be another win for Beijing to scrub away another memory of June 4 from Hong Kong.

The Gatherings Continue

An Apple Daily image of tonight's rally at Edinburgh Place in Central

This evening there was a "G20 Free Hong Kong" rally at Edinburgh Place in Central, where the old Star Ferry used to be, but is now reclaimed land.

I went to check it out after work and even at 8.20pm there were hundreds of people wearing black still streaming from the MTR to go to Edinburgh Place. However they needed to cross Connaught Road Central, which doesn't allow pedestrians to cross because there is an underpass next to the Mandarin Oriental.

People just made their way across Connaught Road Central

However there was strength in numbers as a large group of them decided to stop rush hour traffic and cross the street en masse -- even nonchalantly crossing the barrier between the opposing traffic to get across. It was very impressive to watch but I didn't follow and instead went through the underpass.

It was getting crowded on the other side, and I could hear a voice speaking but couldn't hear what they were saying. It was also very hot and humid with hardly any breeze. But everyone still stood there, with friends, or some held signs, including an elderly woman with a sign demanding Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor step down.

Some people shouted slogans like "Democracy now!" "Hongkongers add oil!"... and then a Japanese man was given the microphone and no one knew what he was saying but politely listened...

Earlier this morning around 1,500 people gathered at Chater Garden and then split up into smaller groups to march to various consulates of countries that will be attending the G20 on Friday and Saturday, including the United States, Canada, Germany, UK, Japan, Mexico, Australia and South Korea.

Thousands gathered tonight to rally for Hong Kong

A crowd-funding initiative raised HK$6.7 million (US$858,000) in 11 hours to buy advertisements in foreign newspapers to take Hong Kong's cause to the international community. There are plans to buy ads in the Financial Times, The New York Times and other papers in Europe, Asia, Australia and North America in the next few days.

In the meantime Lam has not appeared publicly and intends to lay low before and during the G20. Perhaps she might say something on Sunday, on the eve of the July 1 march? Interestingly Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah has been invited to the Canada Day celebrations tomorrow at the JW Marriott in Admiralty...