A Hong Kong university professor has come under fire from pro-establishment politicians and media for allegedly admitting that she stood between police and protesters during the 2019 unrest.

Professor Ching Kwan Lee from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology reportedly said that she wore a “Protect the Children” vest during the protests, which was used by a community group set up at the time with the aim of defusing confrontation between police and protesters.

Lee also reportedly admitted that she had done things “which are defined as illegal under Hong Kong law,” according to a report in pro-establishment newspaper Sing Tao.

Ben Chan, pro-establishment lawmaker and member of the HKUST Council, said that Lee is not qualified to teach at the university, according to Sing Tao’s report.

Former chief executive Leung Chun-ying also urged Lee to go to a police station and surrender as soon as possible, otherwise the police should start an investigation.

HKUST respects academic freedom, but at the same time everyone must abide by the law, said a university spokesperson.

Sing Tao’s report described remarks Lee was alleged to have made in November last year at a Taiwanese research institute. She reportedly described the 2019 protests as a “revolutionary moment,” explained how protesters assumed different roles in their confrontation with police and outlined how the “yellow economic circle” functioned.

“This revolution has no end,” Lee reportedly said. “We must continue to build Hong Kong. This is also a process of building a community.”

Lee has previously been attacked by pro-establishment media for describing Hong Kong as a city which “belongs to the world” during a panel discussion in May 2020.

This remark was taken as an indication that Lee supported Hong Kong’s separation from China, while Lee insisted that it referred to a “‘sense of belonging’ in terms of Hong Kong’s cultural outlook and economic connections with the global community.”

During this previous controversy, Lee said that she had ended her affiliation with the U.S. based non-governmental organization Hong Kong Democracy Council on June 30, 2020, the day the national security law took effect in Hong Kong.

Apple Daily has contacted Professor Lee for comment.

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