Ongoing social unrest in Hong Kong is beginning to impact university campuses in Taiwan, with a recent attack by a Chinese student who choked a student from Hong Kong at I-Shou University, and most recently a recently a brawl between Chinese students and Hong Kong students at Chinese Culture University.
According to reports, a fight broke out on the school’s campus on Tuesday (Sept. 24) night, which resulted in a student from Hong Kong going to a nearby hospital following the incident. The fight allegedly began after some Hong Kong students displayed messages of support for Hong Kong at a “Lennon Wall.”
Some Chinese students attending the university were present when some messages were posted and responded by immediately ripping down the paper, defacing the Lennon Wall. The Chinese student’s actions immediately sparked the anger of many in the crowd, which numbered about 40 people, showing their support for the pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong.
Liberty Times reports that Police were contacted in the aftermath of the event 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 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 determination to the school, which will then determine if any disciplinary action is required, reports Liberty Times.
