Large crowds protested in Hong Kong on Sunday after a pro-Beijing official was appointed to a senior role at the main university, as fears grow over what critics see as political interference in the c
Large crowds protested in Hong Kong on Sunday after a pro-Beijing official was appointed to a senior role at the main university, as fears grow over what critics see as political interference in the city’s education system.
The downtown rally staged by teachers, students and alumni comes in the wake of Arthur Li’s selection last month as chairman of HKU’s governing council. The appointment taps in to wider concerns that academic freedoms in the city are under threat, particularly in the wake of last year’s student-led mass pro-democracy rallies.
Demonstrators Sund-ay marched to the Gov-ernment House, the residence of Ho-ng Kong leader Leung Chun-ying, who appointed Mr Li. The protesters held banners that read “defend the university’s autonomy” and “uphold academic freedom”. Organisers said 3,000 people took part in the protest, while the police estimated the crowd at around 800.
Mr Li, a member of Hong Kong’s Executive Council, the top advisory body to the government, started his three-year term on January 1. He is widely known to be close to Leung, who is also the chancellor of all the city’s universities. “The appointment is not just about HKU, it’s not just about universities. This is an issue of governance in all of Hong Kong,” Benny Tai, a key figure in last year’s pro-democracy movement, told the crowd.
“The government just does not listen to public opinion,” added Tai, who also teaches at the school. Protester Tim-othy O’Leary, a humanities professor at HKU, told Cable TV: “I think this is a disappointing appointment. I think this is an indication that the government does not want to move forward in helping.”
Mr Li’s appointment comes after the university’s councilrejected liberal law scholar Johannes Chan as pro-vice chancellor at the university.
