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Hong Kong protests: more than 2,600 sign petition demanding university chief ‘condemn police brutality’ and hold dialogue with students
- University of Hong Kong management and president Zhang Xiang ‘issued ultimatum’
- Petitioners warn of a possible escalation of campaign if their four demands are not fulfilled
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More than 2,600 students, alumni and staff have signed a petition demanding that University of Hong Kong chief Zhang Xiang “condemn police brutality” and hold a dialogue with those at the institution.
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They urged Zhang to follow the lead of Chinese University vice-chancellor Rocky Tuan Sung-chi, who, under intense student pressure, last week agreed to condemn police for “any proven case” of brutality, the first such move by the head of a tertiary institution over the anti-government protests that have rocked Hong Kong for more than four months.
The petition came after the chairmen of the governing councils of the city’s eight publicly funded universities – including HKU – issued a joint statement on Sunday, saying the institutions were “not battlegrounds for the resolution of political issues and should not be drawn into supporting any particular political position”.
They urged students and staff to be responsible for their own actions.
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The chairmen, who are not teaching staff, are all appointed by the government.
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