HKU to Transform Democracy Wall into Digital Display
HKFP · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
The University of Hong Kong has begun converting the historic "Democracy Wall" bulletin board into a digital display, continuing a years-long effort to reshape campus spaces tied to political expression. The wall, located outside the main library, was fenced off on Friday with notices reading "sustainable campus, smarter billboards" and "coming soon." Once a platform for pro-democracy posters and slogans, the wall has been stripped of its original function since July 2021.
Key Points
- The "Democracy Wall" is situated outside the main library and was fenced off on Friday for conversion into a digital display
- The university confirmed it is digitising bulletin boards and will continue publishing student life information
- The wall was stripped bare in July 2021, days after student union leaders resigned following Security Bureau criticism of their comments praising a man who killed himself after stabbing a police officer
- A dean of students cited the university's April 2021 decision to sever ties with the student union and cut all financial support as justification
- The Pillar of Shame, a Tiananmen crackdown monument, was removed in late 2021 and replaced with a seating area
Why It Matters
The transformation of the Democracy Wall marks another milestone in the disappearance of student activism spaces from Hong Kong's university campuses since the national security law was enacted in June 2020. The university no longer has a recognised student union, leaving students without an official representative body to organise collective expression.
The transformation of the Democracy Wall marks another milestone in the disappearance of student activism spaces from Hong Kong's university campuses since the national security law was enacted in June 2020. The university no longer has a recognised student union, leaving students without an official representative body to organise collective expression.