Controversy grows over punishments for four PolyU students involved in ‘democracy wall’ protest as lawmakers, unions, governing council member and former city leader CY Leung all have their say

Heavy punishments meted out to two Polytechnic University students who clashed with school officials over a bulletin board known as the “democracy wall” were warranted, a governing council member said on Saturday, likening their protest to triad-style action.

That came as a group of pro-democracy lawmakers called on PolyU to cancel the punishments against the pair and two other students involved in the protest, and urged the school to reconsider the nature of education.

The city’s former leader Leung Chun-ying also entered the fray, saying a call by one of the students for a return of the freedom of expression Hong Kong enjoyed before the handover in 1997 was ridiculous.

Council member Kaizer Lau Ping-cheung backed the university’s decision on Friday to expel a graduate student and suspend another for their participation in a protest against school authorities taking back control of the message board after pro-independence messages were posted. Two other students were told to do community service.

Lau said the students who arrived at school management offices in October seeking a meeting with then president Timothy Tong Wai-cheung about the message board had acted arrogantly.