The “Goddess of Democracy” statue was taken down by the Chinese University of Hong Kong on Friday morning. It was based upon a figure that art students had created and brought to the square just before the crackdown, in which hundreds, or even thousands of people were murdered.
The Communist Party’s attempts to erase these events from public consciousness are evident in the removal of the monuments. This is also a sign that the party has repressed democratic challenges in Hong Kong.
A monument at the University of Hong Kong was demolished on Thursday. This took out one of the last places of public memorialization of the crackdown.
The government has not provided any figures on casualties, and the topic of pro-democracy remains taboo in mainland China. The only places in China where commemorations of the crackdown could be held were Macao and Hong Kong, which were both semi-autonomous territories. Authorities banned candlelight vigils from being held for two consecutive years.
Chinese University released a statement confirming the removal of the statue. It stated that it never authorized its display and had no responsibility for its management.
Separately, Lingnan University removed a bas-relief memorial wall display to the memory and impact of the June 4, movement.
According to government-run Hong Kong Radio Television, the university’s decision was based on the “overall protection” of the university community following a recent assessment.
