Masked protesters from a Hong Kong university attempted to escape the campus on Monday, where they have been battling police. Although they were forced to retreat as officers fired tear gas at several locations. Both the police and the protesters had been involved in an increasingly intense conflict at the Polytechnic University since Sunday.
According to a report by South China Morning Post, protesters were also seen shooting police with arrows, using catapults to launch rockets and petrol bombs, setting fire to buildings and bridges.
The police ordered everyone to leave the varsity campus or risk “taking part in a riot”, an offense punishable by 10 years in prison. They also told the protestors that if they stop the attacks, the police would use “minimum force”, including live rounds. But dozens of people who left, including first aiders, were arrested immediately.
On Monday morning, some managed to escape at around 8 a.m., but others were forced back into the campus buildings. Police sealed off key roads and approaches to the university, preventing anyone from going in or out.
At the nearby Urban Council Centenary Garden, police repeatedly dispersed and ran after onlookers who refused to leave and pepper-sprayed those that did not move. At least seven people were detained and led away by police.
In a separate development, the police confirmed that three live rounds had been fired in Tsim Sha Tsui area at around 3 a.m. when rioters assaulted officers and helped a young Chinese female protester escape custody.
Meanwhile, protesters pledged to continue their strategy of bringing the city to a partial standstill by blocking major thoroughfares and disrupting public transport services in a bid to divert police manpower.
Source: IANS