Former US officials want to put a copy of a Tiananmen Square memorial sculpture across the street from China’s embassy in DC

• Former US officials want to erect a copy of the Tiananmen Square memorial across the street from the Chinese Embassy in DC. 
• The sculpture, known as the “Pillar of Shame,” was first erected in Hong Kong in 1997 to memorialize the massacre. 
• The memorial was taken down in October, leading to an influx of requests for copies of the sculpture worldwide. 

A group of former US officials in DC is working to erect a copy of the Tiananmen Square memorial sculpture across the street from the Chinese Embassy in the city, according to an Insider report by Cezary Podkul. 

The sculpture, known as the “Pillar of Shame,” was first created by Jens Galschiøt in the 1990s as a “Nobel Prize of Injustice,” according to the report. The artist intended to put replicas of the monument all over the world to mark acts of genocide and murder. 

The artwork is widely recognized as a Tiananmen Square memorial as it was first erected in Hong Kong in 1997 to commemorate the Tiananmen Square massacre, in which Chinese troops killed hundreds of peaceful pro-democracy protesters. 

But in October, the sculpture at Hong Kong University was covered with sheets and torn down. Since then, Galschiøt has been inundated with requests for copies of the sculpture as backlash, Insider reported. 

Now, one of those sculptures could be erected in Washington, D.C., right outside of the Chinese Embassy, thanks to an effort led by former US officials, according to the report.

Norway is also requesting a replica for display near the Nobel Peace Center in Oslo, Podkul reported. Taiwan will reveal a 3D printed version of the “Pillar of Shame” on June 4 — the 33rd anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre.

Additionally, an artists collective is organizing an international tour of the sculpture to raise awareness of Hong Kong’s struggle for democracy, Podkul reported.

“They have made a big mistake,” Galschiøt said in an interview, according to Podkul’s report. “Now, instead of one, they’re getting hundreds of Pillars of Shame.”