(ANSA) – ROME, JUN 03 – Students from a Hong Kong university challenged the Beijing authorities by hiding tiny statuettes depicting a “goddess of democracy” on campus on the eve of the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre on 4 June 1989. A gesture of open defiance against the growing repression by the authorities on the public recognition of the massacre, reports the BBC online.
Until recently, Hong Kong was one of the few Chinese territories to commemorate the event, and public vigils were held every year.
However, Beijing has now effectively banned the annual city gathering and closed Hong Kong’s Tiananmen Museum.
Activists interpret the gesture as part of a larger China project to stifle political dissent in Hong Kong.
The figurines created by the students of the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) are a copy of the ‘Goddess of Democracy’ statue that was demolished by university officials last December. The statue had been a fixture on campus for 11 years and was modeled on the original symbol of democracy sported by students on Tiananmen Square in 1989 before they were killed by soldiers. But the structure was removed last year along with other tributes, including the ‘Pillar of Shame’ memorial at the University of Hong Kong.
“This is a kind of rebellion. The university ‘stole’ the statue from its students, so we decided to make our own versions of it and put it back,” said one of the protest organizers.
Protesters printed tiny 3D replicas of the statue and hid them on campus for other students to find. Attached are notes urging young people to “Take it home and don’t forget the meaning behind it!” (HANDLE).
Source: Ansa
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