Hong Kong: Tiananmen memorial dismantled and removed

The eight-meter-high “Pillar of Shame” by Danish artist Jens Galschiot has stood on the Hong Kong University campus since 1997. The work of art shows 50 people with tortured faces. A memorial to commemorate the bloody crackdown on the democracy movement in 1989 on Tiananmen Square in central Beijing. On Thursday night the work of art was dismantled and taken away. The government in Beijing has long been a thorn in the side of the sculpture. The university justified the removal with legal risks. In addition, according to information from local media, safety concerns have been expressed about the fragile statue. The removal of the memorial sparked sharp criticism from members of the democracy movement in the Chinese Special Administrative Region. This student also expressed his incomprehension. “I don’t think people would expect something like this to happen at a university that is considered to be the university with the greatest freedom of expression and expression. The university has tried to remove all historical evidence within the campus.” The Danish artist Galschiot was also appalled. He considers the work of art to be his property and on loan to the Hong Kong Alliance in support of the democratic movements in China. He may now want to take legal action against the removal of the work of art.