PolyU students warn of open day protest as talks with university over ‘democracy wall’ on campus in Hong Kong take unruly turn
Students tried to stop management pair from leaving room until both agreed to a closed-door meeting
Students from a Hong Kong university warned they would step up their opposition to the school taking control of their “democracy wall” by protesting at the annual open day on Saturday.
That came after talks broke down between the student union and management of Polytechnic University in Hung Hom on Thursday in the almost two-week-long battle over the wall – a bulletin board on which views can be expressed.
A group of about 10 students, including committee members of the PolyU student union, had stormed management offices demanding an explanation as to why the university covered half of the wall with large sheets of red paper after pro-independence messages were posted on it.
“Without freedom of speech, how dare you still call it a university?” an angry student chanted.
University vice-president Geoffrey Shen Qiping and dean of students Esmond Mok Chi-ming, the only two officials willing to meet the students, shrugged off their calls to explain and reverse the takeover.
Students tried to stop the pair from leaving until both agreed to a closed-door meeting.