Tiananmen massacre statue barricaded at Hong Kong university

A monument at a Hong Kong university that commemorates the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has been boarded up by workers, prompting fears it may be destroyed as the city’s authorities crack down on dissent

HONG KONG -- A monument at a Hong Kong university that commemorates the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre was boarded up by workers late Wednesday, prompting fears it may be destroyed as the city’s authorities crack down on dissent.

The 8-meter (26-foot) tall Pillar of Shame, which depicts 50 torn and twisted bodies piled on top of each other, was created by Danish sculptor Jens Galschiøt 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. Galschiøt 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.