Editorial | Chinese University campus protest could well have consequences
- Chinese University graduates who shouted controversial slogans risk feeling the force of the national security law and their case will be closely watched
Protests have returned, with Chinese University students marching and shouting controversial slogans on campus on the sidelines of an online graduation ceremony. This is not the first time the event has been used for making political statements but, coming in the wake of the national security law, the circumstances are clearly no longer the same.
Those who resort to such means of political expression should be fully aware of their potential legal liability.
However, it is no surprise that emotions are running high. The university was under siege around this time last year – along with Polytechnic University – at the height of the social unrest triggered by the proposed extradition bill.
The protest on Thursday is the clearest indication yet that sentiments remain unaddressed. Furthermore, the arrest of 12 Hongkongers by mainland authorities in August while allegedly fleeing prosecution in relation to the unrest appears to have renewed protest momentum.
But it must not be forgotten that there have been fundamental changes in political and social circumstances. On one hand, public gatherings are restricted in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and, on the other, Beijing has imposed the national security law in what it says is a step to help restore order and stability.