Hong Kong’s protests have descended into savagery – with university campuses leading the charge

What began as a broad and impressive protest movement has become a hate-driven mob. Even our university campuses have been turned into weapons factories and police states – except protesters are running them

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Clashes break out between riot police and students exchanging tear gas and petrol bombs at the Chinese University in Sha Tin on November 12. Photo: Felix Wong

Published: 9:00am, 18 Nov 2019Updated: 5:54pm, 19 Nov 2019

The late Kofi Annan, the seventh secretary general of the United Nations, said “Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family.” This has taken on a wicked twist in today’s Hong Kong.

Knowledge of makeshift weaponry is power. And Hong Kong’s university campuses have been turned into weapons factories and breeding grounds for violence and destruction. There has been footage of Molotov cocktails being produced in massive quantities and protesters practising archery on campuses they have barricaded themselves in.

They have been given the free pass to hurl university property from heights to block roads and the Cross-Harbour Tunnel, attack road users and set vehicles and toll booths on fire.

Information is indeed liberating when these student-protesters are allowed to control access to campus, including the power to search people and take their belongings. A photojournalist was given the choice of either getting his camera destroyed or handing over five memory sticks. The idea of “guards” at checkpoints confiscating reporting equipment is outrageous – and distressingly real in today’s Hong Kong.

Education is the premise of progress, but our bastions of higher education have been turned into weaponised forts.