Statue commemorating Tiananmen Square massacre removed from Hong Kong University

A monument at a Hong Kong university that commemorates the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre was removed by workers early Thursday over the objections of its creator from Denmark.

The eight-metre-tall Pillar of Shame, which depicts 50 torn and twisted bodies piled on top of each other, was created by Danish sculptor Jens Galschiot to symbolize the lives lost during the bloody military crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Beijing's Tiananmen Square on June 4, 1989.

But the statue became an issue of dispute in October, with the university demanding that it be removed, even as the decision drew backlash from activists and rights groups.

Galschiot offered to take it back to Denmark provided he was given legal immunity that he won't be persecuted under Hong Kong's national security law, but has not succeeded so far.

Workers barricaded the monument at the University of Hong Kong late Wednesday night. Drilling sounds and loud clanging could be heard coming from the boarded-up site, which was patrolled by guards.

"No party has ever obtained any approval from the university to display the statue on campus, and the university has the right to take appropriate actions to handle it at any time," the university said in a statement Thursday.

"Latest legal advice given to the university cautioned that the continued display of the statue would pose legal risks to the university based on the Crimes Ordinance enacted under the Hong Kong colonial government."

The university said that it had requested for the statue to be put in storage and would continue to seek legal advice on followup actions.

In October, the university informed the now-defunct candlelight vigil organizer, the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, that it had to remove the statue following "the latest risk assessment and legal advice."

The organization had said that it was dissolving, citing a climate of oppression, and that it did not own the sculpture. The university was told to speak to its creator instead.

When reached by The Associated Press, Galschiot said he was only aware of what was happening to the sculpture Wednesday from social media and other reports.

"We don't know exactly what happened, but I fear they [will] destroy it," he said. "This is my sculpture, and it is my property."

He had previously written to the university to assert his ownership of the monument, although his requests had gone largely ignored. He has also warned the university that he could seek damages if the statue was damaged during its removal.

The University of Hong Kong did not immediately respond to inquiries.