TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The ongoing social unrest in Hong Kong is beginning to impact university campuses in Taiwan, manifesting in a recent attack in which a Chinese student choked a student from Hong Kong at I-Shou University, and most recently, a brawl between Chinese and Hong Kong students at Chinese Culture University.
According to reports, a fight broke out on the school’s campus on Tuesday night (Sept. 24), with one Hong Kong student going to a nearby hospital following the incident. The skirmish allegedly began after a group of Hong Kong students had put up messages supporting their city on a “Lennon Wall.”
Some Chinese students were present when the messages were being posted, and they esponded by immediately ripping down the paper and defacing the Lennon Wall. Their actions immediately sparked the anger of many in the crowd, which was comprised of about 40 people who were there to show their support for the pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong.
The Liberty Times reports that police were contacted in the aftermath and that five students involved in the incident were asked to give their account of events to law enforcement officers. Officials from Chinese Culture University have stated that while they recognize the right to freedom of speech and the importance of sharing different viewpoints, the school hopes that violent incidents like this will not be repeated on the school’s campus.
According to reports, the injured student sought out medical attention on their own. The police will conduct a report using video surveillance of the area and witness accounts before issuing their findings to the school, which will then determine if any disciplinary action is required, reports the Liberty Times.
Remains of messages displayed on the school's Lennon Wall (Photo shared to PTT board)
