Hong Kong university removes Tiananmen massacre statue

HONG KONG – A monument astatine a Hong Kong assemblage that commemorates the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre was removed by workers aboriginal Thursday implicit the objections of its creator from Denmark.

The 8-meter (26-foot) gangly Pillar of Shame, which depicts 50 torn and twisted bodies piled connected apical of each other, was made by Danish sculptor Jens Galschiøt to symbolize the lives mislaid during the bloody subject crackdown connected pro-democracy protesters successful Beijing’s Tiananmen Square connected June 4, 1989.

But the statue became an contented of quality successful October, with the assemblage demanding that it beryllium removed, adjacent arsenic the determination drew backlash from activists and rights groups. Galschiøt offered to instrumentality it backmost to Denmark provided helium was fixed ineligible immunity that helium won't beryllium persecuted nether Hong Kong's nationalist information law, but has not succeeded truthful far.

Workers barricaded the monument astatine the University of Hong Kong precocious Wednesday night. Drilling sounds and large clanging could beryllium heard coming from the boarded-up site, which was patrolled by guards.

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In October, the assemblage informed the now-defunct candlelight vigil organizer, the Hong Kong Alliance successful Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, that it had to region the statue pursuing “the latest hazard appraisal and ineligible advice.”

The enactment had said that it was dissolving, citing a clime of oppression, and that it did not ain the sculpture. The assemblage was told to talk to its creator instead.

When reached by The Associated Press, sculptor Galschiøt said helium was lone alert of what was happening to the sculpture Wednesday from societal media and different reports.

“We don’t cognize precisely what happened, but I fearfulness they destruct it,” helium said. “This is my sculpture, and it is my property.”

He had antecedently written to the assemblage to asseverate his ownership of the monument, though his requests had gone mostly ignored. He has besides warned the assemblage that helium could question damages if the statue was damaged during its removal.

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Hong Kong authorities person cracked down connected governmental dissent pursuing the implementation of the nationalist information instrumentality that appeared to people overmuch of the pro-democracy movement.

The law, which outlaws secession, subversion, coercion and overseas collusion to intervene successful the city’s affairs, was imposed by Beijing pursuing months of anti-government protests successful 2019.

Over 100 pro-democracy activists person been arrested nether the nationalist information law, which has been criticized arsenic rolling backmost freedoms promised to Hong Kong erstwhile it was handed implicit to China by Britain successful 1997.

The Pillar of Shame monument has been erected for implicit 2 decades, and initially stood astatine Hong Kong’s Victoria Park earlier yet being moved to the University of Hong Kong connected a semipermanent basis.

Each twelvemonth connected June 4, members of the now-defunct pupil national would lavation the statue to commemorate the Tiananmen massacre. The city, unneurotic with Macao, were antecedently the lone places connected Chinese ungraded wherever commemoration of the Tiananmen crackdown was allowed.

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Over the past 2 years, the yearly candlelight vigil successful Hong Kong had been banned by authorities, who cited nationalist risks from the coronavirus pandemic.

Some 24 activists were charged for their roles successful the Tiananmen vigil past year, during which activists turned up and thousands followed, breaking past barricades successful the parkland to sing songs and airy candles contempt the constabulary prohibition connected the event.

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