Opinion | PolyU student row a lesson for both sides
- Those involved in a rumpus over a campus message board have been punished for their actions, with one graduate being expelled, but some say the university is going too far
Indisputably, the four students who clashed with Polytechnic University officials over a row sparked by pro-independence slogans on a campus message board last year have crossed the line and should be disciplined.
But whether they deserve such harsh punishment, which saw one graduate expelled, an undergraduate suspended for a year and two given community service of 120 and 60 hours, is open to debate.
While some criticise the university for going too far, others support the tough actions to deter unruly behaviour. The debate is reminiscent of the divide arising from the Occupy protests in 2014 and does nothing for reconciliation and unity.
Similar clashes have happened in other universities, but the punishment meted out by Polytechnic University is the harshest yet.
The controversy erupted last October when pro-independence slogans emerged on a bulletin board where students could air their opinions, prompting university management to retake control of it.