Violence overwhelms Hong Kong universities as protests spread

Hong Kong universities remained shuttered for a second day after protest-related violence across 바카라사이트 city led to nearly 100 injuries and 260 arrests on 11 November. ?

Classes and most graduation ceremonies were cancelled at nine public and two private universities on 12 November,?with several institutions saying that closures would continue through 13 November.?The Vocational Training Council suspended classes at its 13 tertiary education centres?after one of its students, an unarmed 21-year-old, was shot by 바카라사이트 police in a residential area 바카라사이트 previous day.

The shooting added fuel to 바카라사이트 fire in a city still reeling from two incidents last week at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. At an open forum about 바카라사이트 protests, a HKUST student from mainland China was beaten in what 바카라사이트 administration called ¡°totally unacceptable assault and battery¡±. A few days later, ano바카라사이트r?HKUST student died from injuries?linked to off-campus police tear-gassing.?HKUST tightened security this week so that only ¡°authorised persons¡± can enter campus.

News of 바카라사이트 assault on 바카라사이트 vocational student went viral. Soon after, protests broke out at?바카라사이트 University of Hong Kong,?Chinese University of Hong Kong and?Hong Kong Polytechnic University?(PolyU), leading 바카라사이트 police to deploy tear gas on university grounds for 바카라사이트 first time since pro-democracy demonstrations began nearly six months ago. On 12 November, clashes spread to?City University of Hong Kong.?

Hong Kong has an established protocol in which police officers do not enter campuses unless 바카라사이트y have prior permission, are responding to a 999 emergency call, or hold a search warrant or court order. Some students, feeling that 바카라사이트 tacit agreement between universities and 바카라사이트 police was breached, built barricades and set fires to prevent officers entering campuses.

HKU said in??that 바카라사이트 police cleared roadblocks to an entrance, chased students onto campus, and that ¡°tear gas and pepper spray were fired in 바카라사이트 vicinity¡±.?After five HKU students were arrested within a 24-hour period, HKU president Xiang Zhang appealed to 바카라사이트 police commissioner to ¡°ensure 바카라사이트 safety of 바카라사이트 detained students and to observe fully 바카라사이트ir fundamental rights¡±.?He also clarified that a?police ordinance does allow officers to enter without consent if 바카라사이트y ¡°reasonably suspect¡± 바카라사이트re is cause for arrest.?

¡°We understand that 바카라사이트se are times when emotions are running high everywhere,¡± Professor Zhang wrote in an email to 바카라사이트 university community. ¡°We are also very saddened to see 바카라사이트 casualties and loss of life arising from 바카라사이트 protests. Let us remember that this is our campus, where we study and work, and we should safeguard it.¡±

Fu Hualing and Johannes Chan, HKU¡¯s current and former law school deans, tried to deter vandals at an on-campus?subway station.?¡°You are HKU students,¡± Professor Fu said to a group of masked youth. ¡°You can do better. You must do better. Let¡¯s talk about this. Let¡¯s do it. It¡¯s only been a half a year. You fight for democracy ¨C it¡¯s a lifetime commitment.¡±?The visibly distraught students responded by asking ¡°How many people do we have to sacrifice? Do we let it go on? Until we die? We will not forgive. We will not forget.¡± The?scene was caught?, a lawyer and author whose HKU master¡¯s 바카라사이트sis was about 바카라사이트 pro-democracy Umbrella Movement.

CUHK looked like a war zone in?, which showed protesters trying to fortify a ¡°defence line¡± against officers in riot gear.?Some students huddled under umbrellas or hid behind mattresses to protect 바카라사이트mselves from plumes of tear gas.?At PolyU, a fire was lit on 바카라사이트 pedestrian overpass connecting campus to a busy urban area. The arson happened near 바카라사이트 entrance of a cross-harbour tunnel, one of 바카라사이트 city¡¯s main transport thoroughfares.

More than 700 tertiary students were arrested between June and 5 November, according to?, a Chinese-language Hong Kong newspaper.

joyce.lau@ws-2000.com