Hong Kong Police Seize Tiananmen Square Sculpture 'Pillar of Shame'

The 'Pillar of Shame', an eight-meter statue created by Danish artist Jens Galschiøt to honor the victims of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, has been seized by Hong Kong police. This sculpture, which portrays the bodies of those who lost their lives during the crackdown, was first erected at the University of Hong Kong in 1997, just before the territory's transition from British rule to China. It was publicly displayed until 2021, when the university took it down and stored it on its land. On 5 May, the National Security Department executed a search warrant and confiscated the statue as part of an 'incitement to subversion' investigation, as stated in a police announcement on 6 May. Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung clarified that the action is not linked to the upcoming anniversary of the Tiananmen incident. The Hong Kong Police Force has not provided direct comments regarding the matter.