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Universities in Hong Kong
Hong KongPolitics

Polytechnic University trio accused of assaulting staff members face disciplinary hearing over ‘democracy wall’ clash

  • Student representatives were among group of 10 that entered management office during row over bulletin board
  • Investigation triggered after complaint from facilities manager, and they have until December 6 to respond

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Lam Wing-hang launched a hunger strike to protest against university management taking control of a bulletin board where pro-independence messages were posted. Photo: Edmond So
Sum Lok-keiandSu Xinqi

At least three student leaders at Polytechnic University are under disciplinary investigation for entering the management offices last month during a row over the control of a bulletin board where pro-independence messages had been posted.

The university’s student discipline committee sent a letter to Owen Li, Lam Wing-hang and Hazel Cheng Yuet-ting, on Thursday, said the investigation was prompted by a complaint from the facilities management office.

The trio were among a group of about 10 students who entered management offices and stopped two staff from leaving on October 4. The group demanded an explanation as to why the university had covered half of the “democracy wall” – a bulletin board for students to express their opinions – with large sheets of red paper after pro-independence messages appeared on it.

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Torn red sheets of paper hang off a bulletin board at Polytechnic University. Photo: Alvin Lum
Torn red sheets of paper hang off a bulletin board at Polytechnic University. Photo: Alvin Lum

The dispute was resolved three days later after Lam, and two other students, ended a 44-hour hunger strike, and the university agreed to continue to allow the student union to manage the wall.

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Li is the student representative in PolyU’s governing council, while Lam and Cheng are the student union’s president and external vice-president.

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