University abruptly cancels Gaza humanitarian crisis talk

A student-organised talk on the Gaza humanitarian crisis at the Hang Seng University of Hong Kong has been cancelled at short notice, causing an interfaith group to express concerns over freedom of speech on Hong Kong campuses, writes Danny Mok for South China Morning Post.

The event, titled “Gaza Humanitarian Crisis – Save the Children of Gaza”, was organised by student group EM-Power, who said they had hoped to raise awareness over the crisis and tell people of the conflict’s history. Professor James Frankel, the director of Chinese University of Hong Kong’s Islamic cultural studies centre and a guest speaker for the event, said the moderator had notified him on Monday morning, 30 October, that the event was cancelled.

A university spokesman said the institution was informed of the cancellation on Monday but did not elaborate on which parties were behind the decision. The Post has contacted the university’s president and EM-Power for comment.
Full report on the South China Morning Post site