Hong Kong Holocaust & Tolerance Centre (HKHTC) exercises great vigilance about instances of antisemitism in our city and was deeply concerned about the recent appearance of Nazi graffiti (see the image above) on Des Voeux Road West. HKHTC subsequently set in motion a range of processes to expedite its removal, which has now successfully been completed.
The graffiti was spray-painted on a construction site on the corner of Des Voeux Road West and Chiu Kwong Street in the Sai Ying Pun neighbourhood. As this location is along a major thoroughfare with heavy foot traffic, these images were seen by thousands of passersby on a daily basis. The highly offensive graffiti consisted of a series of Nazi symbols including the swastika, the emblems of the German Wehrmacht and its current armed forces, as well as a tombstone with a swastika.
HKHTC immediately brought this matter to the attention of numerous government departments, as well as the consulates-general of Israel and Germany. Our partners in government and the diplomatic community responded helpfully and effectively to our endeavour to get the graffiti removed. Israel’s Consul-General in Hong Kong and Macau, Mrs Ahuva Spieler, who is a strong supporter of HKHTC's work, raised the graffiti issue in a recent meeting with the Hong Kong SAR's Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Caspar Tsui, JP. As a result of their meeting, Secretary Tsui and the Home Affairs Department took decisive action that resulted in the prompt removal of the disturbing graffiti.
HKHTC is grateful to Secretary Tsui and the Home Affairs Department, as well as Consul-General Spieler and her team at the Israeli consulate, for their proactive support and leadership on this matter. Their concrete actions demonstrate the shared goal of peaceful and mutually respectful co-existence among peoples of different backgrounds in Hong Kong.
HKHTC will remain vigilant about any future incidents of antisemitism in our community. The Centre will also continue to strengthen and expand our efforts to educate about the Holocaust and raise awareness about the dangers of intolerance, racism and antisemitism awareness through a broad range of educational programmes with our partners in Hong Kong and Macau. Should you become aware of any instances of antisemitic agitation, please do not hesitate to bring them to our attention.
