HKU Tears Down 'Lennon Wall' Citing Safety Concerns

A so-called "Lennon Wall" at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) containing notes of support for anti-government protesters have been torn down by university staff, after they took back control of the site previously looked after by the student union.

The union's external vice president, Tracy Cheng, accused the school of refusing to renew their arrangement for managing the site on University Street because of political reasons.

She pointed out that Chief Executive Carrie Lam had earlier said at a press conference that law enforcement agencies may have to step in if schools can't handle Lennon Walls with messages that violate the National Security Law.

“This is an outrageous speech and probably the university has been facing some pressure from the government. We will also try to gather some students’ voices, and to express our concern to the school by different means, for example, through a petition or any means that students see fit”, Cheng said.

But a university spokesperson dismissed her claims, saying the area, which is near an MTR exit, has lots of pedestrians, and this creates safety and management concerns.

HKU says it will speak to the union and try to find an alternative place for student activities that doesn't impede the flow of people.