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Overview
This transportable Lennon Wall was created by Auckland-based supporters of the Hong Kong protest movement in 2019. It was made using parts of the Lennon Wall on the University of Auckland’s campus grounds which had, in the months prior, been vandalised on multiple occasions by unknown individuals. This mobile version co-existed with the Auckland University Lennon Wall and had the advantages of being easier to protect from damage and transportable for off-campus protests.
It contains many handwritten messages of support for the Hong Kong protesters, as well as references to contemporary events in Hong Kong. The hand-drawn image of a woman with a damaged eye at the bottom-left of the wall, for instance, refers to a widely-reported incident in 2019 during which a woman, believed to be a volunteer medic, was allegedly shot in the eye by police. The woman quickly became a figurehead of the protests and her injury was subsequently used by protesters as evidence of increased police brutality – details relating to the incident have been disputed by police.
Lennon Walls
The term 'Lennon Wall' comes from the original Lennon Wall in Prague, which was started after the assassination of John Lennon. Inspired by Lennon and his symbolic representation of freedom and political struggle, the original Wall featured Lennon-inspired graffiti, images and messages from those critical of the Communist regime.
In Hong Kong, the first Lennon Wall arose during the 2014 Umbrella Movement, also a pro-democracy movement. During this time, John Lennon’s song, Imagine, was adopted and sung by the crowd and a lyric was hung on a banner near the Wall. During the Extradition Bill protests, a Lennon Wall was once again set up in front of the Hong Kong Central Government Offices staircase. Many also emerged in Hong Kong neighbourhoods, on university campuses and even inside government offices, including RTHK[20] and the Policy Innovation and Co-ordination Office.
Lennon Walls in support of the Hong Kong protest movement have subsequently been staged around the world by supporters, including in Toronto, Vancouver BC, Tokyo, Berlin, London, Melbourne, Manchester, Sydney, Taipei and Auckland. Messages of solidarity for Hong Kong protesters have also been added to the Lennon Wall in Prague.
The Hong Kong protest movement and Aotearoa
The Hong Kong protests were originally incited by the proposed Fugitive Offenders and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Legislation (Amendment) Bill 2019. Also known as the Hong Kong Extradition Bill, the proposed legislation would have enabled Hong Kong residents to be extradited to mainland China to face trial. The protest movement subsequently evolved and continued through much of the first half of 2020, though the Extradition Bill was withdrawn in October 2019. On 30 June 2020, the Chinese legislature approved the controversial National Security Law, bypassing Hong Kong’s own elected legislative council. This law effectively outlawed activities perceived as dissenting or secessionist, including the possession of protest banners and flags carrying slogans associated with the protest movement such as ‘Free Hong Kong/Revolution of our Times’.
The Hong Kong protests have garnered significant international attention due to Hong Kong’s importance to the global economy and the political aspects of China’s increasing prominence as a global player. In Aotearoa New Zealand, the protests have prompted wide-ranging debates, including those relating to democracy and freedom of speech, New Zealand’s relationship to China and the government’s obligations to those connected to Hong Kong but based here, among them international students and temporary visa holders, as well as citizens and permanent residents with familial and cultural links to Hong Kong.