EJ Insight » Hong KongToday, 1:41 PM
Residents engage in a tit-for-tat on the wall where banyan trees used to grow along Bonham Road. Photos: HKEJ, Facebook
Four banyan trees on Bonham Road in the Mid-Levels, which were chopped down in early August, continue to stir controversy.
The roots of the trees, which remain attached to a portion of the stone wall along the road, have been turned into a message board, Ming Pao Daily reported.
On Tuesday, someone put up a sign on the roots that says: “I don’t bloody understand why you still voted Stephen Chan.”
Chan was reelected on Sunday as district councillor of the University constituency in Central and Western district.
The author of the message was obviously blaming Chan for not having been able to protect the trees from being axed.
The government had decided to cut down the trees because cracks had developed on the wall, which it said posed a danger to pedestrians.
Residents and environmental groups decried the decision, saying the public had not been consulted.
On Wednesday, the sign was changed to “I understand why you still voted Stephen Chan”.
But someone added another message in Chinese. It says: “Please respect citizens’ decisions.”
That’s not the end of it. Later the sign was again rewritten. It now reads: “I understand. Because you hate trees.”
Many passersby were amused by the exchange of messages, and awaited the riposte.
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