A group of demonstrators convened at the University of Hong Kong on Friday afternoon to express their disapproval of HKU Vice-Chancellor Peter Mathieson. As the group gathered, the editor-in-chief of an HKU student publication attempted to raise awareness of the Johannes Chan pro-vice-chancellor appointment affair a couple of feet away.

The protesters said that Peter Mathieson had no right to be the Vice-Chancellor of HKU and threatened to bring along rods to beat up him next time, HKU’s Campus TV reported.

They chanted slogans such as “HKU students are gangsters,” and held signs saying “Protect Hong Kong together, Mathieson get out,” and “Please do not encourage violence, it will mislead our children, restore civility to Hong Kong for the society.” According to the banners, protesters belong to a group called “Treasure Friendship Group.”

Photo: 青年新政 – Youngspiration via Facebook.

Another student who was on the scene commented on Facebook saying that the protesters soon left of their own volition, as the scores of students moving along the road made it difficult for them to further enter the campus.

Meanwhile, Undergrad editor-in-chief Marcus Lau was seen shouting into a microphone a couple of feet away. According to Campus TV, Lau had been explaining to passing students the recent events regarding the voting down of Johannes Chan as HKU pro-vice-chancellor by the HKU council.

Undergrad editor-in-chief Marcus Lau. Photo: Isabel Wong via Facebook.

[完整片段]校外團體示威造成大學街道路擠塞[完整片段] 有同學於港大站A出口自發宣傳解釋有關副校風波的事宜，喚起同學的關注。同時有校外團體示威，針對校長馬斐森及學生會會長馮敬恩，引起多人圍觀。示威者一字排開，造成大學街道路擠塞 (14:10) Posted by Campus TV, H.K.U.S.U. 香港大學學生會校園電視 on Thursday, October 1, 2015 On Tuesday evening, 12 HKU Council members voted against the appointment of former Faculty of Law dean Johannes Chan while eight voted in favour, blocking Chan’s appointment in spite of the search committee’s recommendation. Reuters published an article in which Peter Mathieson said that he could not rule out the possibility that Beijing was behind the episode. However, he later stated that he was not pointing the finger at anyone in particular.

Additional Reporting: Medhavi Arora.