Past and present students of Peking University are up in arms over the demolition of the university's famed Democracy Wall, a focal point of protests throughout the institution's history.
Critics say the destruction of the site is an assault on the university's century-old tradition of free expression, but administrators insist the wall had long ceased to function as a marketplace for ideas.
The Democracy Wall, also called the Triangle, was a jumble of bulletin boards erected around a triangle of land in the centre of the campus, a place students passed almost daily.
Despite its understated appearance, it was the site of many political events. During the Cultural Revolution, it was a hub for gatherings and the posting of big-character posters.
Throughout the 1980s it attracted youths inspired by western democratic ideals and demanding political reform.
The area became a centre of student protests in 1989 when the death of ousted Communist Party leader Hu Yaobang triggered pro-democracy demonstrations.