全球38國家約2,400名國際學者及大學行政人員聯署針對香港政府的聲明，要求警察不要襲擊大學校園。聯署信指出，日前警察在既無搜查令，亦無明確拘捕對象下，仍然以催淚彈、橡膠彈等武器多番攻擊中文大學校園一事，震驚全球學界，損害了大學作為公開探究、言論自由和教學場所的功能。敦促香港政府在處理當前危機時保持克制，強調大學在處理相關行為問題時，必須有靈活性和自主權，不應受警到察干預。只有持有搜查令之下，警察才可進入校園。
聯署信提到，香港的大學向來是全球學府學術和學生交流的合作夥伴，但如果香港這種公然侵犯學術和知識自由的行為持續，威脅學生安全，可能不得不重新考慮與香港高學府的合作關係。
參加聯署的包括劍橋、牛津、哈佛、哥大等全球著名大學的學者、行政人員、博士生、研究員、畢業生及學生。以下為全文。
International Academics and University Administrators’ Appeal to the Hong Kong Government:
Stop Police Attacks on University Campuses
November14,2019.
We are academics and university administrators at universities around the world. We express serious concerns about recent police attacks of university campuses with tear gas, rubber bullets and lead-bead rounds. Without clear targets of arrest nor search warrants, riot police stationed themselves on and around university property, provoking students with accusations of unlawful assembly. In the case of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, riot police stormed into campus and made arrests. The chaos that ensued have completely disrupted and undermined the functions of universities as sites of open inquiry, freedom of expression, and effective teaching.
We urge the Hong Kong Government to exercise restraint in managing the current crisis, ensuring that the Police follow proper protocol in executing their duties. Universities must have the flexibility and autonomy to deal with matters of conduct without police intrusion. Police should only enter campuses with search warrants.
We urge student protestors to exercise restraint in expressing their opinions and exercising their freedom of expression. We encourage them to envision non-violent means of communication as much as possible.
We have regarded universities in Hong Kong as global partners in academic and student exchanges. What we witness now is incompatible with our expectations of a world university. We may have to reconsider our partnerships with Hong Kong universities in the future if student’s safety is at risk and such blatant violation of academic and intellectual freedom continues.
——立場新聞
