US law firm drops work on Hong Kong statue removal after criticism

A US law firm said on Friday (Oct 15) it had withdrawn from helping a Hong Kong university remove a statue honoring slain Tiananmen Square protesters after the firm's role sparked condemnation from human rights groups and US politicians.

Stopping here means stop playing when they have already made the profits they have set, which many punters have already สมัครสมาชิก slotxo profited from the format of this game.

The 8m copper sculpture has been on display at the University of Hong Kong for more than two decades. It depicts dozens of torn and twisted bodies symbolising those killed in China's Tiananmen Square crackdown on pro-democracy protests in 1989.

Law firm Mayer Brown, which had previously described the case as a "real estate matter," said on Friday it "will not be representing its long-time client (the university) in this matter. We have no further comment."

The law firm, one of the biggest in the United States, found itself caught between international public outrage and the sensitivities of doing business in China.

The University of Hong Kong did not immediately reply to request for comment.

The sculpture known as the "Pillar of Shame" is one of the few remaining public symbols of the Tiananmen Square episode, which is a taboo topic in mainland China and cannot be publicly commemorated there.

The Danish sculptor loaned the statue in perpetuity to a Hong Kong civil society group that disbanded last month with some members accused of national security offenses. On behalf of the university, the law firm asked the group in a letter to remove the sculpture by Wednesday, which did not occur.