HKU Students' Union Repost Lennon Wall Messages

The University of Hong Kong's students' union reposted messages on a pro-democracy message board on Tuesday after it was stripped clean by an unknown group of people over the weekend.

A Lennon Wall had sprung up in a seating area next to the students' union building after the anti-government protests began last year. It had been in place since then.

But the union said that a group of people vandalised the message board on Saturday evening and quickly left before campus security guards arrived.

Members of the union reposted some of the posters and messages, and called on students to help restore the wall.

They had originally had asked the students to gather to help at around 2pm but later changed their plan to avoid a crowd due to the coronavirus surge in the city. The union said students were asked to join the activities at a time of their convenience.

Student union president Edy Jeh said these spaces were important for students – and people of Hong Kong – because they represent freedom of expression.

"So if the Lennon Wall no longer exists in HKU, then HKU students can no longer have a place to express their opinions. So that’s the reason why we organised the activity today," Jeh said.

Jeh told RTHK’s Jimmy Choi they won't censor any messages that students post on the walls, even though the national security law is now in force.

“We actually uphold the freedom of expression in HKU, that’s why the union will not filter or self-censor all the publications on the Lennon Wall, because we believe that the students have their own right and own freedom to express their own opinions,” she said.

“We will try our best to keep students safe and also to keep the Lennon Wall safe as well.”