Tear gas fired as radicals attempt to escape Hong Kong university, battle with police intensifies
- Petrol bombs, tear gas and rubber bullets fly as police deny rumour they raided campus and say ‘dispersal and arrest operation’ is ongoing
- Force confirms that three shots were fired in Tsim Sha Tsui when a group of radicals helped 20-year-old woman escape custody
Masked radicals attempted to escape from the Hong Kong university campus where they have been battling police on Monday, but were forced to retreat as officers fired tear gas at several locations.
The two sides have been involved in an increasingly intense conflict at Polytechnic University since Sunday, with radicals shooting police with arrows, using catapults to launch rockets and petrol bombs, and setting fire to buildings and bridges.
Following a day of fierce battles in Hung Hom, police on Sunday ordered everyone to leave the school campus or risk “taking part in a riot”, an offence punishable by 10 years in prison. But dozens of people who left the school, including first aiders, were immediately arrested.
They also warned rioters to stop using petrol bombs, arrows, cars or other lethal weapons to attack police, or officers would use “minimum force” – including live rounds – in response.
On Monday morning, some managed to escape at around 8am, 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, riot 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, with a least one suffering a head injury.
The day began with the intense stand-off between protesters and police officers continuing, with demonstrators vowing to stage traffic disruptions across in the city.