NEW: Hong Kong's Tiananmen Square vigil — the largest in the world — will not take place for the first time amid Beijing's efforts to stamp out commemorations.
The Tiananmen demonstrations in 1989 had a profound impact on Hong Kong, which was still a British colony at the time but was preparing for its return to Chinese rule.
The vaguely written security law, which Beijing says was necessary to restore order after the sometimes-violent protests, criminalizes secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces. Lee, 65; Ho, 70; and Chow, 37, have been charged with “incitement to subversion,” which could carry a 10-year sentence.
In a statement at the time, the university said that it had never given permission for the sculpture to be displayed on campus and that there were concerns it could pose safety issues. Jens Galschiot, the Danish artist who created the Pillar of Shame, said its removal was “a quite brutal thing to do.”
But the sculpture’s removal has also given it new meaning, he said: In addition to Tiananmen victims, it’s now also about the erosion of Hong Kong’s freedoms.Paul Yeung / Bloomberg via Getty Images file