Long queues formed on campus on Saturday morning despite dozens of HKU graduates threatening to take legal action against the convocation if it proceeded with the meeting and voting.

The motion called for Lam to be held responsible for the political crisis sparked by the now-withdrawn extradition bill, which would have allowed the transfer of criminal suspects to mainland China and other jurisdictions with which Hong Kong lacks an agreement. The original extradition bill campaign has morphed into wider anti-government protests that have shaken the city to its core for months.

A group of 45, made up of pro-Beijing figures and a former senior official, said the resolution violated HKU’s statutes on the convocation and called for the “offending part” on Lam’s responsibility for the crisis to be removed. They argued it was beyond the convocation’s remit to even discuss Lam’s role in the extradition bill row. The group previously said it would launch a judicial review or seek an injunction if the representative body supported it.

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The convocation at the city’s oldest university also passed a second non-binding motion by 3,002 votes to 218 to urge the university administration to protect the legal rights of HKU students injured at previous protests.

HKU said it would study the two resolutions and discuss possible follow-up action with the convocation.

The alumni threatening legal action include former permanent secretary for financial services and the treasury Au King-chi, former pro-establishment lawmaker Choy So-yuk, ophthalmologist Dennis Lam Shun-chiu, and veteran newspaper editor Arthur Shek Kang-chuen.

But the convocation proceeded with the emergency general meeting.

More than half of the alumni speaking supported Lam’s resignation from the university’s top post. Several young graduates wore masks to protest against Lam for invoking emergency laws to ban face coverings at public rallies in a bid to quell the escalating violence.

Tai Keen-man, Lam’s former publicity chief in her election campaign, also attended the meeting. He said on the sidelines that Lam should better treasure public opinion and show she had listened.

“Even if she is right and others are wrong, she still needs to listen and be more proactive,” said the retired former journalist.

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One example, Tai said, would be on establishing an independent inquiry into clashes.

“If the government wants to do it, it can be done. Mrs Lam should be more active in responding rather than just relying on the existing system,” Tai said. “The scope can be defined, for instance, attacks in Yuen Long and Prince Edward stations.”

Some graduates also felt HKU vice chancellor Zhang Xiang could learn from his Chinese University counterpart Rocky Tuan Sung-chi and speak up for the legitimate interests of arrested students.

Tuan on Friday wrote an open letter to Lam, asking her to investigate police’s treatment of about 20 arrested students.

“Zhang Xiang … didn’t speak for students, he did nothing,” said social science graduate Willy Tam.

Retired principal Au Pak-kuen said secondary schools were “looking at university chiefs on what to do to protect their students”, and that universities should take reference from renowned educator Tsai Yuan-pei to protect student protesters so they were free from government persecution.

Pro-Beijing former student union president Cheung Ka-mun and doctor Veronica Wai Yuk-chun, respectively, offered support to police to maintain law and order and accused protesters of being separatists and mask-wearing “cowards”.

But they were quickly booed by others. “Go back to the mainland!” some shouted.

Under the 108-year-old institution’s governing ordinance, the top position of chancellor is by default the city’s leader.

Though largely ceremonial, the chancellor has the power to appoint seven non-student or staff members to the 24-member governing council, including the chairman.