The University of Hong Kong has expressed concern over the presence of police officers on its premises, after several were spotted on campus shortly after midnight on Wednesday.
“The University security immediately questioned why they were there in violation of existing protocol and the University will follow up with a formal complaint,” the university said in a statement at around 1pm on Wednesday.
The statement did not give specifics of the incident.
Footage circulated online appeared to show three uniformed officers patrolling the university’s campus at night. They were filmed outside the university’s student union building, but did not enter it. They left in an elevator.
Apple Daily cited unnamed sources claiming that the campus was not part of the usual patrol route, and that officers may have been intending to visit the Simon K. Y. Lee Hall of residence.
The hall has a wall of posters criticising police chief inspector Cheng Pak-lam, a former resident of the hall who has been accused of using excessive force against a protester.
李國賢堂外出現「柏林圍牆」【學苑即時】有人於李國賢堂外張貼標語，聲討日前疑強行扭斷被制服示威者手腕的警員鄭柏林。從標語可見，鄭柏林為李國賢堂前宿生，住於李國賢堂五樓「五嶽山莊」，為第二十屆「升仙」的宿生，亦為宿生會前主席。
Posted by 香港大學學生會學苑即時新聞 Undergrad, H.K.U.S.U. Instant News on Monday, 15 July 2019
HKU Student Union Acting President Davin Wong said he was not certain whether the police presence was related to the hall’s message wall.
“But we believe that the school has done what it should do. We expect the school will speak to students when they receive a reply after they lodge the complaint,” Wong told HKFP.
Student meeting
During a meeting between HKU head Zhang Xiang and students last Friday, Zhang said he would not allow police to enter campus and arrest students without a court warrant.
Zhang is scheduled to meet students again on Thursday.
An anti-extradition law protester, who is an HKU fresh graduate, has been charged with assaulting police officer, failing to show identification documents, and two counts of wounding with intent, after he allegedly bit off part of a police officer’s finger during the Sha Tin protest on Sunday.
