A Chinatown protest display with messages of support for pro-democracy demonstrations in Hong Kong has been vandalized for a second time in less than one week.
Activists discovered the so-called "Lennon Wall" on Grand Street early Tuesday morning with the words "Fuck Hong Kong Roach" spray painted in red. The Lennon Wall, which is named after a John Lennon memorial that turned into the site of pro-democracy expression during the 1980s in Prague, at one point included roughly a hundred Post-It notes as well as artwork. Days ago, activists had worked at restoring the wall after discovering it torn down on Wednesday and replaced with counter-protest slogans that included, “Hong Kong is part of China,” and “Hong Kong is China’s bitch forever." Prior to that, a pro-Beijing group were accused of throwing bottles at Hong Kong activists during a rally and march in Chinatown.
The actions in New York City appear to mirror the counter-protest movement in Hong Kong, where local pro-China groups have been mobilizing individuals against the uprising. The reference to Hong Kong protesters as cockroaches has been used on Twitter and Facebook, where groups linked to the Chinese government were recently discovered to have created hundreds of accounts to undermine the Hong Kong protesters. Now in its 12th week, the rallies in Hong Kong, which originally began as a protest against an extradition bill, have drawn hundreds of thousands of people and has increasingly led to violent clashes with police.
The unrest has drawn international scrutiny, with Canada and the European Union issuing a joint statement earlier this month that called on China to exercise restraint. President Donald Trump, in hopes of using the issue as a leverage in the ongoing trade war with China, has also lately expressed support for the Hong Kong demonstrators.
One pro-Hong Kong activist who asked not to be named said the vandalism in Chinatown was akin to hate speech. Noting that there is a security camera on the corner of Eldridge and Grand streets, he urged a police investigation. Although they have no proof, he and others have suspected that the Chinese Communist Party may be driving the agitators in New York and in other cities that have been home to pro-Hong Kong support.
"This action is way over the line," he said.
The Lennon Wall, he said, was supposed to be "neutral ground" for the two sides to express themselves. Last Thursday, a pair of pro-Beijing supporters who said they were students had posted their own notes and messages alongside Hong Kong activists. The two sides did not speak but their actions fueled interest and curiosity among many passersby.
Update: City Council Member Margaret Chin told us in a statement, "This message is just hateful, and only serves to silence individuals who want to engage in the current dialogue in a meaningful way. Relying on hateful messages as an intimidation tactic does nothing to advance the discussion, and will not be tolerated – not in Chinatown, not anywhere in New York City.”
The Lennon Wall in Williamsburg
In the face of counter-protests and the destruction of the Chinatown display, other Lennon Walls have sprung up in the city. On Sunday, a group organized a mobile Lennon Wall, a temporary installation designed to prevent vandalism, at Union Square. Another Lennon Wall recently popped up in Williamsburg, along with an Instagram hashtag #nyclennonwallhk
"This is going to be a trend," said the pro-Hong Kong activist. "Hong Kongers want Americans to read more into the issue."
